Yeah it's almost early Christmas....

So 'my son Brian and Heather' are on the road......driving in some lousy weather from MI to VA, (usually it's Bill and I driving up in the lousy weather but this year the kids gave us a reprieve) We are celebrating TG in VA for first time in 5 years and my grandson has already arrived from Denver! By tomorrow evening all my children with their other halves will be in VA to celebrate Thanksgiving AND Early Christmas!!!! We are soooooooo excited and feel so blessed! So here is my grandson getting ready to let loose a football to granny...then some pictures of my student's work this week.....we got to do some easel painting since my shop teacher and I got old easels I found in the art room jimmied up for use. ;-) notice our paintings are on recycled boards from KellyAnn's Quilt store in Warrenton..... ;-) Thanks Kelly

Was a busy trip and last 4 days.....

So have been offline for a few days due to a fast trip up north to aid my mom.......she had full knee replacement surgery about a week ago so I got to play pajama party and stay over a few days to visit and help my mom and dad........ was a busy time but was fun getting the time with my parents! Hated to leave......

MI had many surprises....I got to see the new roof on my house up north....I got to see many closed retail outlets ;-((( economy is hurting in the Detroit area sadly.....Bill made it out to Harsen's Island and saw the ice already forming near the dock........now back to work tomorrow for two days then Thanksgiving break and my grandson comes to visit for our phony early Christmas! ;-) Cannot wait!

Christmas Stockings the hard way ;-)

So this is when sewing experience would or could help! My daughter put in a wish order for Christmas Stockings for her family (which includes my only grandchild ;-)))) so.....

Sadly I always have ideas but sometimes lack the skills since I never sewed until I took up quilting.
I sometime lack the skills to make projects easy! lol lol....guess that is what makes this so interesting?


Oh well here are my stockings so far...still have to find the perfect materials to make collars for the stockings to add their names........so far I have a green fabric that might work, but not exactly what I envisioned......I have to head up to MI tomorrow to play nurse and visit with my mom who had a full knee replacement a week ago......she's in her 80's and is doing great! Maybe I can hit the local quilt store and see what they might have on hand? Deadline is Thanksgiving...it's when we have our phony early Christmas.

It's been a busy week..now a busy Saturday!

So wow the week flew by with many obligations, work and otherwise.....but today was fun ......I took a day long class on the HQ16! Handi Quilter ;-) in fact was on my soon to be HQ16! I take delivery in early Dec. ;-)))))

Patchwork Plus of Dayton, VA brought in a Handi Quilter Educator and held the all day class. What a nice day! We all got to try different rulers and tips for using the HQ line of machines. I learned how to do some fun free motion quilting and other techniques! Got comfortable using my new machine. Now must go spend time with my hubby since he is the person who encourages me most in my quilting......(including to take the step and purchase the machine! so it's only fair to watch some "Rome" episodes with him tonight!

(The Christmas stocking was no pattern, drawn freehand then quilted and sewn together)

Tyvek Day 2

So tyvek was fun and seems to have many possibilities.......I have not completely melted or altered the tyvek on the black quilt sample cause I wanted to wait and use my little hand iron.
Another new technique with much to offer.

So now I'm off to a movie and dinner with my hubby.

Tyvek here I come ;-)

So I get to try out Tyvek tomorrow with a quilting buddy.......she has spurred me on since she is taking a class and invited me over to play in her garage........

Here is some of my preparation so I am prepared to play tomorrow...in other words here is the first stage and tomorrow I add the heat.........stay tune tomorrow.......[The background of photo has some of my tyvek painted with some acrylic paint....the black is cloth with little squares or rectangles of tyvek sewed on w/muslin backing and batting.]

Completed Carol Taylor Class Project

So here is my completed class project from the class with Carol Taylor.

Originally I planned on using one more color of yarn circles but I decided it was best to complete as is and move forward. ;-) I feel so behind and need to move forward with a few of the projects I have planned with deadlines....first some semi traditional quilting..meaning a set of Christmas stockings for my daughter's family? Time will tell.......lol

Semi traditional because I am making them up as I go along........ lol

Should prove interesting!

Value?

One thing that still ends up being hard for me is Value in cloth? Possibly due in part to my eye sight? One eye is nearsighted and one eye is farsighted? Basically I see flat, sort of hard to explain.....lol.....but one can adjust.

But anyway thank goodness for digital camera's and graphic programs.......

Want to see what I mean? Helps me improve what I see.......now I can make adjustments......

One day is not enough!

So I have voted! Took 1 hour and 15 minutes..... I am thrilled we got to do workday from home today! Now sadly I have so much to do RE: work obligations, home studio to clear up and I still want to sew! One day at home is not enough....... Tomorrow we know our new President and thankfully NO MORE political calls or commercials!

What a mess my work area is?

Well, thank goodness I have a work day from home tomorrow....... maybe I can actually get some stuff cleared away? check out this mess in my studio.

And how exciting? Wegmans has opened right around the corner from us ;-) I remember Wegmans from my kid's college days at Cornell and Lehigh.....anytime I went to visit them they wanted me to take them to Wegmans for dinner....... lol

Want to stay focused today!

So trying to stay on task today! Need to try to write a grant proposal with deadline then want to sew!!!

Wish me luck...time to turn off computer till I get something done ;-) Have a GREAT Sunday!

Notice the fall colors are almost sadly done........ and can you see the golfers teeing off? (view from our deck)

Virginia speed traps? ;-( shame on them!

So we took a lovely drive today to Staunton VA in hopes of seeing some pretty fall colors. We did see some great fall colors though sadly the cold snap we had seems to have peaked some of our colors. An interesting thing is during my 5 years of living
in VA I have never witnessed as many parked and waiting police cars....Route 29 then Highway 33 or/and 81? nearby (Augusta County?) anyway we were driving a loaner from Ford a little (sadly RED car) with little or no pickup and go which since we were just out for a nice drive today in no hurry and not racing anywhere, we did not care.....anyway we noticed and even commented all morning on the police cars parked and sitting everywhere when suddenly we got stopped????? we were shocked....anyway to say the least Bill got a ticket?? I swear I know he could not have been going the 76 miles the policeman quoted? The policeman's comment was to have the car's speedometer checked or letter from Ford and to include it when we mailed in our fine?Yep just mail in the fine, Geeezzzzzzzz got to say very disappointed to feel the area of VA we drove though today was just out for funds today.....it was such a nice day and when you witnessed how and where they were parked???

Oh well otherwise was nice day....VA is a beautiful state and fall is a pretty site! Similar to upper MI or along I-75 in MI ;-)))) but the colors stay much longer in VA.