Paper Piecing Passion

Hello everyone, I know it has been quite a long while since I've posted. Life certainly gets in the way. Lots of things happening. I had to sell my car, we really didn't need to have two cars and paying insurance on both was getting out of hand. So, I finally sold it after lots of negotiating. Didn't get what I wanted, but got what I needed. I was able to buy a new CPU, a laptop and lots and lots of fabric. I have taken lots of classes at the local quilt shop this summer and learned how to paper piece. My local quilt shop owner designs her own patterns and all of them are paper pieced. In order for me to do her patterns, I had to take her paper piecing class to reintroduce me to paper piecing. I have not stopped paper piecing since the middle of August. Thank goodness that I took that class, as I am also doing a pink/white Sylvia's Bridal Sampler quilt and there are a lot of blocks that are paper pieced. I am working with the new computer now, so bear with me on the photos. I have lots of blocks done on the sampler, at least 26 (and that's out of 140), but the real progress will start in November when I start the SBS BOM with Stitchin Heaven. I think the swapping is going to have to take a time out for a while. I have signed up for quite a few BOM from some of the quilting shops and most of these quilts are gifts for other people. I would like to get them done within the time frame that the BOM runs.

I have joined the Carol Doak Yahoo Group (that's one of her patterns up there) and met lots of really nice women. I have joined in some of the group swaps and lotteries. I am NOT going to join anymore Christmas swaps, as I don't celebrate Christmas and don't quite know what to do with Christmas blocks. I think I will donate them somewhere. If I felt more charitable towards my son in laws family, I would make a Christmas quilt for his Mom and Dad, but I don't. There are just so many times that one can get slapped in the face when one finally realizes that no matter what you do, it will NEVER be enough. So, I've stopped trying. Ally might have to live with them, but I don't and I don't have to be nice to people who are not nice to me. Since I probably won't see them any time soon, I'm not going to worry about it. To tell the truth, I don't care that much. I have way more important things to worry about than those people.

That's it for now. Going back to watch the football game. Have a great day and keep the piece. Renee

Trying to upload photos

Bought the new camera and have been having problems with it since the day I brought it home. Now, this post is an experiment to see if I can upload these darn photos that are in the camera. If I can't upload, its going back. Here goes. Well, that is not what I was wanting to do. I am trying to get the photos out of the camera and I can't. I am going to go someplace and try to figure this out. It is so frustrating. Keep the piece.

Quilty Things

Hi All,

I have decided to make Ally a pink/purple alphabet quilt for Georgie. Seems I was really hoping for a boy and Georgie came out a gorgeous girl. The mostly blue alphabet quilt that I made really doesn't go in Georgie's room, it is pink and white. So, now I am going to make the same quilt for Georgie that I made for Asher, only this time using mostly pink and purple fabrics. Don't know when I'll get to it, but the fabric and the pattern are in a clear plastic bin, just awaiting for me to do it. I also have another pink/purple quilt to make from a Quilt Dash pattern.

Right now I am in the middle of making blocks for a Christmas exchange with one of my Eons quilting groups. I'm doing another block exchange with another Eons group. Lots of the ladies are overlapping groups, so I'm trying to send two blocks out to those, so I'm cutting fabric and trying to sew them up. I've also started a quilt for my niece. She's really funny, my niece. She wanted something with motorcycles and skulls and that Harley stuff, but I just couldn't do it. If she wants the skulls and such, maybe I'll use that fabric as the backing. She has such a pretty room, I really didn't want to use the skulls on the front. I hope she doesn't mind, but then again, anything that comes from me she will love.

I've been trying to save money and I have bought some fabric from Joann's recently. I must say, I will NOT be doing that anymore. The difference between the quilt shop fabric and the Joann's fabric is stark. Joann fabric is so thin you can see through it. You can punch fabric from a quilt shop and nothing will happen to it and you can't see through it. Don't you just love the feel of the quilt shop fabric? And the smell?

One of my local quilt shops is having a summer special. Take as many classes as you want for $100. That sounds wonderful and I did sign up to take four classes. What they don't tell you is the supplies for each class can be as much as $100 too, so you wind up spending way more than you thought. But then again, at the end of each class, I should have some amazing looking quilts. One Block Wonder, kaleidoscope, machine applique and a kit that the shop owner has designed. I'm bringing the Bernina in to have it serviced on Tuesday, so I should have it back in time for the classes in August. I'll bring the Kenmore in for service in August and then I'll bring the Singer in for service in September. Going back to the sewing. Take care and keep the piece. Renee

Sadness and Hypocrisy

Good evening all,

Well, Ally did come down and I did get to see Georgie and boy, she is gorgeous. What a little girl. I think I left lip marks all up and down her body when I was kissing her all the time. We went to see my Mom at rehab and they went to see the rest of the family and it was okay. Ally brought Georgie to the house to see me, without the republican. I never did see him. Ally came over on Monday, 6/8, with Georgie to say goodbye to me as they were leaving that afternoon. She then left to go back to the hotel to check out and then they went for lunch. While at lunch, she called me to ask if Grandma liked California roll and I said she loves it. So, Ally brought Grandma California rolls for lunch and they all had a nice visit before they left for the airport. Now, anyone who lives in Florida knows that anytime after 2PM it will rain like a hurricane. So, Ally decided to go to the airport before the rain came. They left rehab around 3:30 and by 4:45 my Mom was gone. My Dad said she gasped for breath about five times and then just slumped over. So, he comes home around 5PM and tells me and I now have to call Ally to let her know. So I call her cell around 5:10 and of course it goes right to voice mail. I call her two more times just before 5:30 and she finally calls me back a few minutes later. I tell her, she goes hysterical, to the extent that I don't understand a thing she is saying. I tell her to call me back when they get home and I hang up. She called me at 11:30 to tell me that they were home and I told her I would call her the next day and let her know about the funeral.

After many phone calls, many plans, much crying, Dad and I pack for our "trip" to New York. The funeral will be on Wednesday the tenth up in New York. My niece has lined up a friend to watch her two kids, but of course, my daughter is going to bring her baby to the funeral. The reason: her mother in law wants to go to the funeral to be moral support for Ally. Does she not realize that Ally will have ALL her family there for moral support. If she wants to show her support, stay home and watch the baby. Finally, after much talking back and forth, Ally finally decides to leave the baby home. She will pick her up after the burial at the cemetery and come back to Brooklyn to my brother's house where my Dad and I are staying. After a long delay at the airport because of weather, we finally take off after 5PM on Tuesday, the ninth and get in the JFK after 10PM. Thank goodness our bags came out almost immediately and we were off to Brooklyn. We had to be at the funeral home at nine, so the limo came to pick us up. We were there for almost a half hour when Ally finally arrived. There was traffic from Long Island to Brooklyn, that's why she was a little late. The republican didn't even look at me, never mind come over and give me his condolences. My Aunt told me later on that he didn't go over to her either. We sat shiva (Jewish people sit shiva for a week after the death of a family member) at my brother's house. Ally's other family (her in laws) did not come to see us, they did not call us, they did not send a card. So, what can I say about them? Nothing. I will say nothing. A time will come for them to go and meet their maker and they will have to suffer the consequences then. Dad and I stayed up in New York for a week and we are now home for a while. We will go back up at the end of October for Pearl's one year birthday. I will probably go up alone for Georgie's as hers is at the end of January. Dad and I are doing fine, we have each other and we have the dog. He keeps us busy. And we have those grand kids. Three of the most beautiful babies I have ever seen.

Okay, now for the hypocrisy. Republican hypocrisy. If you are going to spout family values, live by what you spout. If you cannot live up to being faithful to your wife, maybe you should just get a divorce. Maybe you shouldn't be spouting off about other people. Maybe people who throw stones shouldn't live in glass houses. This makes me sick. When Clinton was in office and he had the Lewinsky thing, the republicans were calling for him to resign. RESIGN they all said. What Clinton did was horrible. Well, they couldn't get him to resign, so they "impeached" and censured him instead. Now, we have a governor and a senator who had intercourse with women who are not their wives, and are they going to resign? Nope, they are not. The governor did get censured, but the senator has decided to run again. I guess the republican motto now is Do as I say, not as I do. When Larry Craig had his bathroom stance thing, resign they said. When Vitter had his little fling with the DC Madam, did he resign? Nope. What is it about republicans? Do they not know how hypocritical they are? Do they care? No, I don't think so. I hope the republican party can learn from all these incidents and maybe come up with a better platform than just family values. Now the republicans want to say that marriage is a private thing and we should just leave these men alone so that they can work out their problems. Well, if marriage is private, then why are they so scared of gay people getting married? What is it about gay people getting married that will make straight people getting married different? Or mean something different? Why are they so threatened? Well, time for me to get off the soapbox. I'm tired and I really need to get some sleep. Hopefully I can get back to some quilty things soon. Keep the piece.

It's been a while

Hi Everyone,

I know its been some time since I've been here. Life seems to get in the way sometimes. It's not been such a very good time for me. My daughter and her family are coming down here tomorrow and I don't think I am going to get to see my granddaughter. It seems that it is too much trouble for them to stop here at my house to see me after going to the rehab home to see my mom. The hotel that they are staying at is north of my house and they have to pass my house in order to get there. But...it is too hard for them to stop here. I really think it is just that they land at 6:30PM and they are renting a car and then they are going to go see my mom and of course my dad will be there and it will be dinner time and why should they have to worry about paying for dinner when grandpa will? And by the time they finish dinner it will be late and Georgie will have to go to sleep, so it is too much for them to stop here. And you know what? It's quite all right with me. I don't ever want to see that republican again, so if my daughter ever decides to come to Florida with her child without him, that's just all right with me. I have this feeling that this little girl is not going to know me and she will find out about me when she's a teenager and then she will turn to her parents and treat them the same way they are treating me. I can only hope. I just want my little girl back, not this thing that the republican's family have created. I'm really tempted to tell them to just adopt her and be done with it. I've also decided to just do QOV quilts from now on. My little girl doesn't seem to see the value in what I do, so she and the family will no longer be endowed with my handiwork. I will make quilts for people who are much more deserving and appreciative. That's it for now. Renee

Quilty Things

Since I don't do enough piecing, I have started a BOM with my QuiltingForAll group. Since I am having trouble posting my photos on the group site, I will post them here. I caught up this afternoon with the first April BOM. There they are. We are doing two blocks a month, so I am using the same pink fabric for the two blocks. Each month I will use a different pink fabric. I am trying to use the same white fabric and green fabric, but I am running out of green, so as soon as I have 12 blocks, I will change the green fabric for the last 12 blocks. I am also going to be doing another BOM with my Eons quilting group. This one started in August, but with no swapping. I think we are getting ready to do a BOM swap starting soon. I'm also doing at least two Bonnie Hunter scrap quilts all the while, so I'm keeping busy. The job market down here in Florida for older people is very slim and with the way the economy is going, I don't see myself getting a job any time soon. So, thank goodness I have parents who let me live with them and help them out, otherwise I would be on the street. So that's it for now. Watching the Yankees play the KC Royals with my Dad, so I'm going back to the game. BBL.

Thanks for the support

Thanks to all who have e mailed me and commented on the blog. I really do appreciate all the support that you've shown me. My relationship with my daughter is there, although strained. They are coming down to Florida in June and I will get to visit with my granddaughter for at least a day. They are coming for a weekend only and since I do not wish to spend any time with the person she is married to, I have requested that the rest of the family make their own plans with them if they want to see them. I have also requested that they do not confront her or try to make things right. She is conflicted enough. I do not want her in an uncomfortable position with him being right there. So I will end this by saying things are getting better, but things are definately not resolved.

Hurt and Upset

So, I have become a Grandmother. Whoopee!!! My daughter gave birth on January 23rd to a beautiful little girl. That was Friday night. I arrived on my scheduled day of the 24th and spent a miserable 3 nights at my daughter's apartment. I must say, that being disrespected and treated with contempt is not my idea of a good time. That f*****g moron that she married is the most horrible person I have ever met. Her father is turning over in his grave because she married so beneath her. I have never been treated so badly in all my life. I thought I was going up to help with the baby, but every time I would have had time with her, she was brought downstairs to be with his mother (they live in a 2 family house). That baby was with his mother more time than she was with me and that woman lives there 24/7. Sorry to say, I will probably not have a good relationship with that girl because of her moronic parents. I think my daughter has forgotten everything that her father and I taught her. She just threw is all right out the window. I'm just so hurt and angry that I haven't even talked to her since Wednesday the 28th of January. I don't know if I can ever forgive her and I certainly will NEVER, EVER forgive him. He should just be glad that my Hungarian didn't come out and curse him, cause those curses come true. And if he doesn't at least attempt to apologize to me, that curse may still be placed upon his head. Sorry this is not quilty, but I just had to put my feelings down and this was just the tip of the iceberg. I'm one of those people that holds the anger in, but when it comes out, its like a volcano, it erupts. I don't think I have ever been this angry at anyone ever. I'm not going to say anything about him, because "they" say that if you don't have anything nice to say, then don't say anything, and I don't have anything nice to say about him. The sad thing, is my daughter doesn't see that he disrespects her family, especially me. Sad, sad, sad. Okay, on to the quilty things, they are much more enjoyable.

I have read all my group digests and on "Quiltvillechat" they were talking about a Bonnie pattern called "Jared Takes a Wife". So I looked into it and decided that I would like to make that quilt. Of course, I changed the colorway to suit me and the quilt is green, pink and white. The star points and the sashing are pink, the background is white and everything else is green. All different shades of green. The blocks are coming out real nice, if I do say so myself, haha. I'm also trying to finish up some of my UFO's. The problem with that is, I keep on getting the quilting magazines and I keep on pulling out patterns and then pulling fabric to make the patterns and I create more UFO's. I'm going to start to make some quilts for me as all the ones I've already made have been gifts for others. I think I need to take some time and create for me for a change. Anyway, that's it for now. Keep the piece. Renée

I've Lost My Mind

I am leaving for New York next week for a month. I have started a mystery quilt with Mystery Quilts and I have decided to start a Perkiomen Daydreams Quilt from Bonnie Hunter's book, "Scraps and Shirttails...." I thought this would make a dent in my stash. It has not. You would think that you would use a lot of fabric, but when you start to sew and then you cut and then you sew some more, you realize that even though the pieces seem small, you aren't using that much fabric. There are 20 rows by 20 rows of 5.5" blocks in this quilt. I think I have two rows finished. I am trying to use different fabric in each of the blocks, but it is not working out that way. I can't stand to cut up all that fabric and I don't have as much red and yellow as I had thought. I am really going to have some serious withdrawal when I'm up in NY for the month. Thank goodness for the computer, at least I can vicariously see fabric through the internet. I'm sure that this stay in NY will pass so quickly that I will be bemoaning the fact that it wasn't long enough. Anyway, I've lost it and I hope it doesn't come back. Piece. Renée

Double Delight Progress

I was so bored doing those darn triangles for the square in a square blocks that I peeked and decided to do clues 4 and 5 together. I'm doing the square in a square blocks as leaders/enders. I have three more nine patch and four more Rolling Star blocks to finish, but I am NOT laying this quilt on the diagonal. I will lay it out straight and see how many blocks I need to do it that way. I just don't have the room to do a diagonal layout, so I will do it straight. I've noticed that some of the other ladies didn't do a diagonal layout on some of Bonnie's other mysteries, so I will not with this one either. And if I have to wait until someone puts one up in the photos, I will wait. It's not like I don't have a bunch of other things to do, lol. Going back to sew, piece. Renee

I WON FIRST PRIZE IN THE FABSHOPHOP

OMG!!! I just read my e mails and there was a congratulatory e mail from Laurie Harsh of the Fabric Shop Network, Inc. I participated in the Holiday Hop, because I like to go to the shops and look at all the pretty fabrics and the new patterns. When I was working, I would sometimes buy fabric, but I always do the Hops. I never and I mean NEVER even imagine that I would win something, anything. What a shock!! I'm so excited, I'm surprised that you all didn't hear me scream. LOL. Hear I am in sunny South Florida doing a very happy dance. Piece. Renee

Totally off the quilting topic

I have had it with the hypocrisy. Why is it that Israel can get bombarded with bombs from all directions, but if they should fight back, everyone gets all upset? What part of a country defending themselves is wrong? If Israel just sat back and took all the bombings, eventually all the Israeli's would be dead. But I guess that is just want the people doing the bombing want. Look, the USA was attacked on 9/11. What did we do? Didn't we go to Afghanistan to try to find Bin Laden and get or kill him? Isn't that what a country is supposed to do when they are attacked? For years, Israel has been bombarded by rockets and suicide bombings. One of my brother's friends lost a child on one of those bus bombings a few years ago. It's not like the people getting killed in Israel are soldiers. They are innocent people. Why do cowards always pick on the innocent? That's what I think these "people" are, the ones bombing Israel, COWARDS. Come out from behind the innocent, come out from behind the masks. If you are so proud of what you do, why do you hide? COWARDS, all of them.

Finished Clue 1A of Double Delight

These are my Clue 1A of the Double Delight Mystery on Quiltville. The green squares are the only color I changed. Everything else is the same as Bonnie's. I am now working on Clue 1B, I'm usually faster, but these square in a square are really hard and Bonnie has given us a really great technique, but it take a little longer to do. So, slow and steady. I'm going to be the tortoise this time instead of the hare. I have to admit, this is the first time in doing square in a square that it actually comes out square, without it being wonky. They might actually fit together this time. Going back to 1B now. Later. Piece. Renee

Double Delight

On Quiltvillechat we have been having dicussions on fabric, amounts of fabric, etc. I'm doing my in a semi-controlled scrappy. I have different neutrals for each of the clues that call for neutrals as of now. For 1A I am using a fabric that is almost white with mottled pastels; for 2A I am using a variety of scraps and yardage that I've scoured about looking for and I also am using 11 different light pink fabrics; for 2B I am using a fabric that is a little darker and some of it looks almost pink and for 2C I am using a beige fabric with red swirls and blue dots. Don't know how anyone else is doing it, but that's how I am and I'm stickin' to it.

Oh, and by the way. HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!! I am brain dead most of the time, so forgive me if I don't know what time of the year it is. Hope everyone has a great 2009 with much health and wealth. Piece. Renee

Fabric Changes in both mysteries

Okay, I admit it. I changed out the purple for brown, so the only color that is different in my quilt from Bonnie's is the blue for green.

Now, the fabric for Mystery Quilts has changed out altogether. This mystery calls for 3 different neutrals (of the same tone), one dark and three mediums. So I picked pink as my mediums, without knowing that I should have picked three totally different colors. Lesley was kind enough to let me know that I needed to change to the different colors and then she must have done something on the computer or something, because then she said that the pattern would come out with the fabrics that I had chosen. But, when there is a need for fabric, new fabric, Renee heeds that call. Joann's was having a sale and I needed a ruler for the Double Delight, so I had to go. As I got my ruler, the new Quiltmaker magazine, some pins (straight and for sandwiching) and I was walking around the aisles, where does my wondering cart go? Straight for the fabric. What could I do but follow? So I found a really nice chocolate brown to add to the two that I already had (but didn't have enough of) and then that yellow, green and pink batik started singing out to me. I had to get it. And from there it was easy peasy to find something that went with it. And the funny thing, the name of that batik is Large Wedding Rings, the magenta is called Tango Daisy and the green one is Scroll batik. So with the black and the neutrals, I think this should be a whopper of a colorful quilt. Way out passed my comfort zone. I am not changing it anymore. I probably won't be able to start it until I come home from New York anyway. That's it, I need to get back to sewing up those square in a square blocks for the Double Delight. I'm almost finished with clue 1-A and then on to cutting fabric for clue A-2. Have a great evening. Piece. Renee

SSCS 2008 = gifts from my Secret Santa

Okay, we got so excited with the package, that we opened it up and tore open all the lovely packages inside. Vanessa sent along a really lovely letter along with all these lovely gifts. There was another one, but my Dad really loves licorice and he tore open that package as soon as the wrapping was off it. So they didn't last too long. I don't know if you can see the great koala fabric that everything is lying on, but I have been collecting anything koala for almost 30 years and this was such a wonderful surprise to receive. Vanessa sent along two other Australian fat quarters, but for the life of me, I don't remember where I put them. I have been trying to straighten up the den before my trip to NY, so I must have put them somewhere where I thought I would remember, but......We haven't had any of the Vegamite yet, I think we're scared, lol. I have been using the pin cushion, and I found two pins in it before I took the picture. It is a staple beside my sewing machine and I have another one that I received in another swap on my cutting table. And the wall hanging. What can I say? I don't think any picture can do it justice. Just beautiful. I am in awe. And it jingles. Vanessa put bells on the bottom of each panel. I have it hanging on a lamp shade right by by cutting table so I can see it all the time. I'm sorry I didn't take pictures of everything when they were still in the box or before I ripped into everything, but they were wrapped in red tissue paper with green ribbon bows, really pretty. Thank you so much Vanessa, I appreciated everything you sent and I really do hope that I can get over to your country before too long. This has been a really fun swap and I hope everyone has a very happy, healthy and quilty New Year. Renée

Double Delight

This is the last time that I am going to change my fabrics. I have FINALLY decided on these. I don't know if you can see, but the top fabric is dark purple with light lilac flower on it. I am using that as my indigo, the green is my brown and everything else is the same. I might make just one more change and that would be to get some solid or tone on tone green and purple just to help make the pinks stand out more. We shall see if I get inspired to go out today or tomorrow. Any input would be greatly appreciated. Thanks so much and have a wonderful New Year. Renée

SSCS 2008

Here are the steps in my Secret Santa Swap gift for Jo in Tasmania. Even though it was paper pieced, it still came out wonky. The sashing was supposed to be flying geese, but I just couldn't work with such small pieces of fabric, so I ditched that idea and just used a regular sashing. I didn't have much in the way of Christmas fabric, so I used what I could find. I loved that holly fabric. I had this done in August and then just put if off to the side. Before I knew it, I was receiving e mails from Chookyblue and it was time to mail and I still hadn't finished it. Oh, what to do. So I attempted to quilt it myself, that was a big mistake. I wound up just tying it. And then to bind. What's a girl to do? I took the easy way out and I just pulled from the backing and sewed it to the front. I did the best I could with these fingers of mine. I hope the boat load of fat quarters I also sent will take the edge off the disappointment that Jo must feel getting my meager offering. So sorry. Renée

Finished One Mystery, Starting another

Well, I finished the Christmas mystery and now, thank goodness, Bonnie has decided to give us a New Year's present and is doing another mystery called Double Delight. I have picked my fabrics and this one is not going to be scrappy. I found some yardage in my stash and I am going to use that. Of course, I am changing some of the colors, mine to be pink, green and purple. This is going to be for me, me, me. I've done enough gifting of quilts lately, I would like to have one for my bed.

Those are the fabrics, up there and the other is the finished top of the Christmas mystery. I am going to attempt to quilt that one myself, we shall see. I hope everyone had a great holiday. Renée

Next Mystery Project

Here are my fabric choices for the next mystery quilt that I have decided to do. One of the nice ladies on Quiltvillechat told us about this group, A Pocketfull of Mysteries, on yahoo. So, since I do not celebrate Christmas, I've decided to do this mystery as it starts the day after Christmas. I won't be busy with all the things that you are busy with after Christmas, so I should have loads of time to do this mystery. Lots of the women from Quiltvillechat will be here with me, so I won't be alone. It took me quite a while, at least four days, to finally decide on these fabrics. Thank goodness I asked for help and Dorothy Young, who runs Apocketfullofmysteries, said that they were okay. So, Thursday I will cut the fabrics, although the focus fabric is already cut, as I was using this come heck or high water. I might do another with the top fabrics, as I really don't know what to use those chili's for. I can make the duck one for my new grandbaby and I can donate the chile one. So, I will keep myself busy until I have to pack for my month up in New York, ugh. Cold weather. Yucky. I will be taking pictures of my SSCS 2008 gifts shortly and will post them on Thursday or maybe Wednesday night as the Aussie's will have already celebrated the holiday. I received amazing gifts. Unfortunately, I am not a needle work person. The only needle work that I can do by hand is needlepoint and some small amount of binding. All the ladies are so talented, so creative, so wonderful, my work cannot even compare. I hope I haven't disappointed Jo too much as she is one talented and creative woman. Well, off to watch some football, GO JETS!!! Have a happy, quilty day. Renée