tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7464188007890139992024-03-12T21:32:03.041-04:00 Jenni PennyA journal of quilting, creativity, and the everyday moments... Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01297276342288658765noreply@blogger.comBlogger21125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-746418800789013999.post-44890368145012324122014-10-26T18:15:00.002-04:002014-10-27T06:54:01.799-04:00Sunday ThoughtsWell hello there blog world. It's been awhile. Things are full steam ahead with my job, Sophie back in school, school activities and play time with the brilliant boyfriend and I just have been putting the bloggy blog on the back burner of life.<br />
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So, a quick little catch up...<br />
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I made a quilt with Jenny Eliza fabric designed by <a href="http://www.sisboom.com/" target="_blank">Jennifer Paganelli</a> for JoAnn's.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-O9JZw59JFms/VE1sqUbn1bI/AAAAAAAAAWI/0WVitfD-bw0/s1600/IMG_4232.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-O9JZw59JFms/VE1sqUbn1bI/AAAAAAAAAWI/0WVitfD-bw0/s1600/IMG_4232.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finished quilt using Quilt As You Go tutorial from <a href="http://www.maureencracknellhandmade.blogspot.com/2013/09/a-herringbone-quilt-tutorial.html" target="_blank">Maureen Cracknell</a></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is mostly what it is being used for</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What I made with some of the scraps - kitchen towel<br />
The kitchen towel was made using this tutorial from <a href="http://www.schnitzelandboo.com/" target="_blank">Schnitzel & Boo</a></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Quilt for my friend Mary</td></tr>
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I used the Designer Star pattern by Lee from <a href="http://www.maychappell.com/" target="_blank">May Chappell</a><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cotton + Steel, Kaffe, and Moda fabrics</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I love the back!</td></tr>
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This quilted table runner turned out so cute! I think I will put it in my etsy store that is completely empty right now. I need to take better pics for sure...<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">...and the back...</td></tr>
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My biggest quilty love is paper piecing!! I will try to focus and make a tutorial for paper piecing. I know that there are a lot out there so I wasn't going to. I have had a lot of people asking me how though.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">paper pieced feathers</td></tr>
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Last bit - There was a partial eclipse last weekend and we wanted to see it from the beach. This was my picture with my phone camera - obviously my phone camera is not the greatest.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Phone camera - no partial eclipse noticed</td></tr>
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HOWEVER! Ernie, with his ever present camera, caught this doozy!! So amazing. I will leave you with that :-)<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01297276342288658765noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-746418800789013999.post-69022963930025218042014-05-23T07:51:00.001-04:002014-05-23T07:52:31.367-04:00Lots to update!Oh goodness where do I even begin? Life is traveling at high speed and it is so hard to keep up most days! SO, I will do a quick life in pictures to help catch up...where should I start? Oh - how about Anniversary/Mother's Day weekend.<br />
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Ernie and I celebrated our anniversary with a Blues Brothers concert at Taste of Pinellas in St. Pete. It was beautiful out!! Sunny and not too hot. I knew Ernie would have his fancy camera and spend most of the time wandering around taking lots of great pictures so I brought my paper piecing and a quilt to sit on in the grass. Perfect day for it! Although I am pretty sure I was the only one sewing while watching KC and the Sunshine Band dance their booties off.<br />
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Sophie and Ernie brought me to Starbucks for Mother's Day so Sophie could buy me a Chai Latte. I love this kid.</div>
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We went to lunch at Salty Dog and watched people across the water playing and boating. We decided we should head over to check out the park as tide would be heading out in an hour. We are so lucky to live here. There is beauty everywhere we go...</div>
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Last weekend was Sophie's Spring Concert and then her Semi-formal was the following evening. A fun night of awards, food, and friends. Plus it was an excuse to get dressed up and pretend we are fancy people.</div>
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One last thing...I tackled this intimidating Lucky Stars BOM last week. I just love this series by <a href="http://www.dontcallmebetsy.com/p/lucky-stars-bom.html" target="_blank">don't call me betsy</a>. It is just a skill building thing for me because they certainly are not perfect! I may try these again in another color way as a gift. They are so pretty and just seem to sparkle! </div>
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Ok there is SOOOOoo much more that I have to say but it's time to get ready for the day...stay tuned for a recap of this weekend (I am going to meet the amazing <a href="http://carolynfriedlander.com/summer-road-trip-club/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=summer-road-trip-club" target="_blank">Carolyn Friedlander</a>!!) I can hardly wait.</div>
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Are any of you out there doing the <a href="http://www.schnitzelandboo.com/2014/05/mini-quilt-swap-is-under-way.html" target="_blank">schnitzel and boo mini swap</a>? Have you started your quilts?</div>
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Happy Friday!</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01297276342288658765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-746418800789013999.post-78981950416217713112014-04-03T07:50:00.001-04:002014-04-03T07:50:54.525-04:00What a week!And it's only Thursday. My job is supposed to be 9-5:30 but it has been 9-6 or 6:30 with no lunch nearly every day for oh…maybe a year? Lately it has been until 7. This is along with a nearly nightly text or 3 from my boss during my family's dinner time. I've had enough I think. Soooo, rather than complain about it on social media and the universe…I need to change it.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-j1h9WQrNiuI/Uz1HiuZ-QZI/AAAAAAAAAQU/WVy_1zHYduY/s1600/IMG_3623.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-j1h9WQrNiuI/Uz1HiuZ-QZI/AAAAAAAAAQU/WVy_1zHYduY/s1600/IMG_3623.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a>I passed my real estate final and will take the State exam after our Season so that I will have my Florida Real Estate license. I do love homes and the ins and outs of real estate. BUT I will need a supplemental income because there will be no more salary or wages for the time I spend working. Plus creating and sewing is my real passion. I'm starting an Etsy store to start with…baby quilts, table runners, modern quilty wall hangings and such. There are a few stores around us that sell local handmade goods as well and I will look into that.<br />
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This is the first one that I have started! I love the fabric colors so much! The back of this one is yellow minky. So soft and sweet. I will quilt it this week/weekend and hopefully will have it in my new shop by Monday!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sophie modeling the baby quilt. Say hi to Sophie ya'll!</td></tr>
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Of course there was scrappy goodness left over and what else would I do with it but make bunting? This was my practice run and I'm keeping it because it is so sweet and goes with my want-to-be hippie beach house. I'll make sure to post when the new store is up and running. Name is still in the works!<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01297276342288658765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-746418800789013999.post-80520235259227878452014-03-26T07:19:00.000-04:002014-03-26T07:19:42.908-04:00Free Motion Quilting Nightmares<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Okay, so maybe not a <i>nightmare</i> exactly…but certainly not fun. I have an old Singer 6235 that is very tempermental. It's a beast (in a good way) when it comes to straight line quilting and piecing - I always forget because I tend to use my little Janome - it travels better and has a lighter touch. The Singer means business - the feed dogs pull that fabric along like no one's business and the thump of the needle up and down is intentional and nothing should stand in it's way. The "whir" is more like a growl where the Janome almost sounds like it is purring.</div>
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The biggest difference is the Singer has a free-motion quilting foot and my basic Janome does not. </div>
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I want to free-motion quilt SO bad!! I've done it before and loved the way it turned out! This is my very first art quilt I started in 2003, I hand beaded the heart and the sun, traced Sophie and my hands, made ribbon roses out of hand dyed silk ribbons, and echo quilted the whole thing. I was in the process of making spirals on the 4 marbled yellow/pink small borders and ran out of thread after the first one was completed. Flash forward many years later and I have thread similar enough to the one used and really want to finish the sucker. </div>
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The problem is the machine is really jaunty. I've taken it in numerous times over the past few years and the results are always the same. I can't get the smooth curves and spirals or even straight lines that I did years past. She's become a grouchy old lady. I will keep trying though - Maybe it is just me that is out of practice…the back is loopy but it stitches fine when using the feed dogs (still a little jaunty but not enough to mess up piecing. One stitch here and there is a little crooked). The quilts I am making lately are not for any competitions or anything so it has been fine for straight line quilting too. I'm just disappointed and a new machine is out of the question for the time being. Thanks for letting me vent.<br />
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So instead I have been working on this <a href="http://www.dontcallmebetsy.com/2014/03/new-in-pattern-shop-ferris-wheel-pdf.html" target="_blank">Ferris Wheel Quilt by don't call me betsy</a>. I saw the zebra print Safari Moon fabric by the <a href="http://bellybuttonsboutique.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">fabulous Frances Newcombe </a>for Art Gallery Fabrics and fell in love with it! I knew it had to be the center of all of the blocks. I have the smaller print on the same blue that I am using in other blocks. I'm also using a lime-ish green solid with a metallic glint and a soft purple shade that is in the Safari Moon print. I do love these big 18" blocks and I think they will look great all put together.<br />
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Work has been crazy busy as it is "Season" for us Florida folks. Everyone is escaping their snowy Winter…and now Spring…and coming to sit by the sea shore in their bikinis and swim trunks. Good for our economy. Siesta Key was named the #3 beach by Mr. Beach this year and the 2 that beat us are in Hawaii. Stiff competition but we are nearly always in the top 5 - this year is the busiest year we've had according to the locals. I will be glad to have the quiet in a few months.<br />
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Cheers!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01297276342288658765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-746418800789013999.post-39381733608750957462014-03-16T08:03:00.000-04:002014-03-16T08:03:16.195-04:00Quilty Catch-up<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hidey ho neighbor! Well, it has been a busy few weeks. So I need to do a little bloggy blog catch-up. This should really be 2 blogs because there is so much to catch up on but…well…I'm lazy so you are stuck with one. </div>
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Disclaimer: The first 5 quilts are <i>not</i> mine! Last weekend was the Venice Quilt Show and the Manatee Quilt Show. Ernie's mom and dad came down Saturday to spend the day with us. Ernie and his dad went off and his beautiful mom and I went show and shop hopping. We saw a few friends along the way and some amazing work done by local quilters. I typically take pictures of the cards so I can go back and read the stories of the artist/quilter and quilt but I also typically have a real camera and not my phone - plus the Venice show was so packed we were lucky to even get a picture at all! So, alas, the quilts below are uncredited but again I will say - they are not mine! They were just some of my favorites.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">AMAZING quilting - makes it look like snow drifts</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Background is silk and every flower is hand beaded in the center</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grumpy Cat!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tokyo - made with the quilter's collection of Japanese fabrics</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I just thought this was stunning - love the colors</td></tr>
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I finally finished my Pinata pillow. It is getting much love - mostly from the cat. I just love the way it turned out and <i>really</i> love that I still have some of that fabric left so I can turn it into something else. Not sure what yet…side note: never ask a quilter what they plan on doing with the fabric when they buy it. Never.<br />
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Friday night was PMS night at one of the local quilt shops - <a href="http://www.cottonpatchquiltshop.com/" target="_blank">Cotton Patch</a> - It was from 6pm-midnight and boy was I pooped. It was sew much fun though! I love the new friends I have made and all of them are very talented, kind, and funny ladies. After lots of the picture below on Thursday night - I attempted to work on it Friday night and ended up with all of the fabric facing the correct way but I had reversed the colorway of the blocks…sigh.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Friday night sunlight and our organized mess</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gah!</td></tr>
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Saturday afternoon was my Modern Quilt Guild meeting and we made charity quilts for a few hours. I sat with a friend who was at PMS the night before and we were both a little zombie-ish. Show and Tell was amazing as usual. Saturday night, Elizabeth Dackson from <a href="http://www.dontcallmebetsy.com/" target="_blank">don't call me betsy</a> suggested a #paperpiecingparty on Instagram from 8pm-11pm and I have a pattern and fabric that have been dying to just be something. So I pulled out Elizabeth's Ferris Wheel Quilt pattern and begun cutting away! </div>
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This is going to be fun! </div>
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Off to do a little sewing before the world wakes up and catches me…<br />
Cheers!<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01297276342288658765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-746418800789013999.post-48950799520579150152014-03-04T07:43:00.000-05:002014-03-04T07:43:06.992-05:00Weekend RewindSometimes things move so quickly - mornings turn into busy afternoons that turn into night skies. I scroll through Instagrams and blogs of complete projects and skiing trips and treasured moments and wonder how these people have the time to complete projects and take vacations. I find myself feeling frustrated and as if I am not living up to that standard of living but I realized that the only one who put that standard there is me. So, rather than get frustrated at lack of complete projects and no time for vacation - I need to just enjoy the process and enjoy the time spent with the people who matter most to me…and maybe detatch from social media every now and again.<br />
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Also, I live in Florida - HELLO! Every day is a vacation.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Myakka State Park</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alligator in Myakka - seen from our air boat ride</td></tr>
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Saturday was an early day for us as Sophie had a choir thing and had to be on the bus at 7 am. So, by the time she came home at 2:30 it was nap time for everyone - except for me as I was fueled by my frustration of not having time to finish anything. I finished the February Lucky Stars BOM by my friend Elizabeth Dackson at <a href="http://www.dontcallmebetsy.com/p/lucky-stars-bom.html" target="_blank">Don't Call Me Betsy</a>.This is my first attempt at paper piecing and I have found a new love! My middle got a little wonky but I don't think it will matter once it is all quilted. Everything else matched perfectly and I love this block.<br />
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Sunday we went to Myakka, explored a tiny bit and took the air boat ride. It was such a beautiful day. Sophie had to babysit so Ernie and I took walk on the beach for sunset. After living here for almost 3 years I still marvel at the clear waters and the sea life we find on our walks. It was so beautiful and peaceful. Just what I needed to calm my mind.<br />
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When we came home I started a new project. This one is a quick one and in honor of our Texas Family Easters. That is a whole other post altogether :) It will be a pillow for the couch - a Pinata pillow. This has been fun and relatively quick. It should be finished this week at the latest. Cute!<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01297276342288658765noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-746418800789013999.post-30635965255319025542014-02-24T07:03:00.001-05:002014-02-24T07:03:29.824-05:00Weekend Fun and Finished Project!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This weekend was the exotic car show in downtown Sarasota. They called it a "Great Gatsby" show but really there were only a few cars that were Gatsbyesque. Most of them were expensive sports cars but they were fun to look at anyway and it was a free event - and who doesn't like free events? Oh and The Mystery Machine was there! Those meddling kids...</div>
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After the car show and a few errands I was able to spend a lot of time with my sewing machine. I started this mini quilt called <a href="http://camilleroskelley.typepad.com/simplify/2014/01/more-minis.html" target="_blank">Dwell by Thimble Blossoms</a> a few weeks ago and it was so fun to pick out fabrics for each little block and watch it all come together. I used a lot of fabric from the Scrumptious line by Bonnie and Camille for Moda. I love that line - so cute! Now I have scraps too :) While I was putting it together I took pictures and posted them to Instagram with the #dwellalong hashtag and I was able to follow along and see other people's come together too. The designer herself, Camille Roskelley, "liked" mine and I felt giddy and a bit like a teenage fan girl when I saw that….</div>
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I misread the directions for the chimney at first so a couple of them turned out wonky and I had to make new ones. I will use those in a smaller one for a friend. They are all the same but just didn't match the size of the other ones so I even thought about making mug rugs out of the orphan blocks. There are enough to do a mini-mini wall hanging though so it will be a little gifty for a sweet friend. I may go back and do another mini quilt because they are a little addicting! </div>
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It is far from perfect but it turned out pretty cute just the same! Maybe I will hang it up in my Real Estate office. It suits it perfectly!<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01297276342288658765noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-746418800789013999.post-42115056683923909282014-02-19T06:35:00.000-05:002014-02-19T14:50:52.875-05:00One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish...Valentine's Day came and went. My sweet boyfriend took Sophie and me to a nice dinner at a Thai restaurant and then Sophie wanted to meet some friends to see a movie. Ernie and I decided to go see the Lego Movie - Everything is Awesome! It was very clever. Go see it if you haven't already. The Master Builders of Legos are pretty amazing. What a job they have! I just read an article yesterday and they described a day in their job life - how cool would it be to just create things out of legos all day?Sophie was supposed to be seeing that as well but they ended up seeing Monuments Men - she said it was really good.<br />
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On Sunday Ernie and I went to the Cortez Heritage Commercial Fishing Festival. We were there early so we were able to enjoy some nature before it got too crowded. It was a beautiful Florida morning! Just a little crisp and the sun shining on our faces. Just gorgeous!</div>
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The Cortez school house was built in 1912 and in 1921 when a hurricane struck it was where the people of the fishing village sought refuge. They closed the school in 1961 and a weaver and artist by the name of Robert Sailors bought it. He added this "secret garden" and waterfall. It was actually much prettier in person! The building was always the center of the community and Robert would still hold the annual Cortez Native picnic on his lawn and still invited entertainment to perform for the community at his home. The county purchased the property after he died and renovated it and turned it into the Maritime Museum in 2006. It is still used as a community center of sorts and holds community gatherings and has a small library tucked inside. </div>
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All in all it was a beautiful day. I am so blessed to live in Florida with it's sunshine a turquoise waters. It was really fun to see a little glimpse of a fishing villages history and get out and enjoy nature, good food, people watch, and check out a little bit of art too.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01297276342288658765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-746418800789013999.post-50288042974434819132014-02-08T08:58:00.001-05:002014-02-08T08:58:55.561-05:00Friday Night FunLast night was PMS (Pizza, Munchies, Sewing…what did you <i>think </i>it meant?) night at one of the local quilt stores, <a href="http://www.cottonpatchquiltshop.com/" target="_blank">Cotton Patch</a>. My new friend <a href="http://www.steamykitchen.com/31260-mullet-fish-sperm-white-roe.html" target="_blank">Jaden</a> had wanted to go and invited me to sign up to join her (if you want a good read, good laugh, and to learn a new recipe or learn how to not store fish sperm - go check out her blog!). Another friend had ended up being there last night as well and all together there were about 25 of us and the shop owner who is such a great lady. We stayed until midnight - gasp! I didn't even know I could stay awake that long anymore. Only a couple of us got loopy. It was really fun to see all of the projects that were brought and a few of them finished. I couldn't decide what to bring so I loaded myself down and brought a million projects with me. There was so much gabbing and munching and laughing that I am surprised I finished anything! <div>
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Well, I didn't really…I shorted myself 1 white square so I had to finish my <a href="http://www.stitcherydickorydock.com/sugar-block-club/" target="_blank">Sugar Block Club BOM</a> this morning. I love the way it turned out and it looks so pretty next to its January friend.</div>
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Jaden and I met last month at the Modern Quilt Guild meeting. Elizabeth Dackson of <a href="http://www.dontcallmebetsy.com/" target="_blank">don't call me betsy</a> was the guest speaker and we had a free motion quilting workshop. She has a beautiful BOM called Lucky Stars and they are all paper pieced. Both of us signed up and neither of us know how to paper piece so we both brought our projects thinking we could learn together. Laura, the amazing owner of Cotton Patch, gave us an impromptu class on paper piecing and now we are SET! I can't wait to dig into my stash and finish this! I love paper piecing! </div>
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This little itty bitty booger was last on my list of things I started and didn't finish. <a href="http://camilleroskelley.typepad.com/simplify/" target="_blank">Thimble Blossoms Dwell </a>. My little house block is only 3" x 4.5". I was able to dig through my stash and find enough coordinating pieces that I would almost call it a stash buster. But at a finished size of 13" x 15", I don't think there is a lot of "busting" going on. </div>
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All in all it was a great night! I signed up for the March one as well and maybe this time I won't bring so many projects! I just need to finish something.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01297276342288658765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-746418800789013999.post-41214717808676557932014-02-05T07:02:00.000-05:002014-02-07T06:05:00.176-05:00Finished Project!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
It was such a beautiful day yesterday! Sunshine and low 80's. Almost makes a girl feel guilty when her friends up north and back in Texas and Oklahoma are freezing and prepping for another Winter storm. Then I remember that I <i>chose</i> to move here and they <i>choose</i> to stay there! I will enjoy my sunshine and warm Winters. Maybe one day this week I will even make it to the beach.</div>
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I did a lot of cutting and sewing this weekend. Sophie's pencil bag broke and I have a pattern for a bag but it is a little big. I explained it every way I could and she insisted that it would be fine. So instead of watching the Superbowl (Dallas wasn't in it so I don't care much anyway) Sophie and I went to JoAnn's to find fabric to match some pieces we already had. </div>
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The pattern was fairly simple. 6 scrappy 8" blocks, a 14" sport zipper, 2 layers of batting, a 15"x22" piece of fabric for lining and voila! You have a bag. Being the first zipper I have ever done, of course I sewed part of it on wrong and had to unstitch it. The bag…well…it's really big! I told Sophie I would make her a smaller one and could use this one myself. She insisted on keeping this one though and proceeded to empty out her backpack of any non-important things…ie: math book…and said she would just pack an apple for lunch to save room. Oh goodness. I think I will be making another <i>smaller</i> bag in the near future.</div>
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Sophie and Ernie spent some time working on a very difficult Dr Who puzzle while I sewed and cut fabric for my Friday play day. It was a very pleasant evening. I do love our family time - it makes my heart happy!</div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01297276342288658765noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-746418800789013999.post-25657472061261012012014-02-02T09:07:00.001-05:002014-02-02T09:08:52.656-05:00APQ Quilt AlongWell, yesterday was a sewing day for sure. Kind of anyway. Friday night I finished my first block from the <a href="http://modalissa.blogspot.com/2013/11/apq-quilt-along-inspiration.html" target="_blank">APQ Quilt Along</a>. I'm not quite sure how I feel about it. It is very busy for sure. I have been <strike>hoarding</strike> saving this kokeshi (doll) fabric since 2002 and I have quite a bit of it along with some sushi fabric. So I thought I would finally cut into it and use it as the large rectangles in the center of each block. Definitely NOT low volume like it was supposed to be. I am going to keep going at the urging of a new friend and see if they get better as I go.<br />
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The Pattern and Fabric Stash</div>
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The First Block...</div>
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After the first block I decided it needed some softening up. I will use oranges, pinks, and a dark yellow for all of the "X"s and dark turquoise and this lighter one below for the rings. All the middles will be the X colors and the light turquoise chevron print that you can't see in these pictures.</div>
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The Second Block...</div>
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Scrappy Togetherness…</div>
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It's the beginning of a new month and I have 2 BOM's to do and now this one that I want to finish cutting. This Friday is PMS (pizza, munchies, sewing) night at <a href="http://www.cottonpatchquiltshop.com/" target="_blank">Cotton Patch Quilt Shop</a> and I am going with my new friend, Jaden, from <a href="http://www.steamykitchen.com/" target="_blank">Steamy Kitchen</a>. Good thing my little machine is back from the doctor's and working better than ever. I better get cutting so I have something to do!</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01297276342288658765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-746418800789013999.post-40654495038894868182014-01-26T22:07:00.001-05:002014-01-27T07:05:26.315-05:00Sunday Funday!So sorry to see the day come to an end. It was a lovely weekend although a bit cloudy today. Ernie and I started out the day by going out to the St. Armands Art & Craft fair to see a client/friend of his. I just love our weekend time together. On our way back to the car we had a little rain shower. Nothing major just enough to make us a little damp and chilly. Then we headed back to go our separate ways for a little while. I dropped Sophie off at the mall and went to the grocery store. Then I came home to sew for a little bit. One of my machines, Little Nellie, is at the doctor's office and my old Bessie is here but sick. Well, I think I figured it out! I took out the bobbin and I noticed there is a little raised bump right on the edge where the thread comes out…I pulled out another bobbin and popped it in and sure enough, she is stitching like the old girl she used to be. I haven't tried free-motion quilting with her yet because I didn't want to push my luck. But she is piecing ok!<br />
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These beauties came in a few weeks ago and I have been trying to decide what to do with them. Then I found Amy Gibson's blog <a href="http://www.stitcherydickorydock.com/twisted-irish-chain/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+StitcheryDickoryDock+%28Stitchery+Dickory+Dock%29" target="_blank">Stitchery Dickory Dock</a> and fell in love with her new BOM - Sugar Block Club. I may do another one of these with other materials I have as a gift for someone. So fun! </div>
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Well, I am so glad one of my machines is running. When you get an itch to sew you just have to sew! Don't get me wrong…there are other things I could be doing but none of them are quite as fun :)<br />
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Cheers!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01297276342288658765noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-746418800789013999.post-2310749480471703472014-01-21T06:39:00.000-05:002014-01-21T06:39:36.336-05:00Puppy LoveRight now I should be sewing. That's what is humming in my blood this morning…sew….sew…sew… I'm sure that is because I can't right now. Three machines in the house and not a one of them working nicely. At least until Saturday when I can get one of them looked at. So instead I have a warm cuddly dog in my lap while I read about what other people are sewing. I keep looking at this picture of her and it makes me giggle every time.<br />
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Maizy was confused yesterday. Lots of small things that looked like her...</div>
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This is my little cuddle bug hanging out with her main squeeze watching M.A.S.H. She's not picky. Besides, if she sticks around long enough maybe he will give her a grape or two. She doesn't look comfortable but she wasn't squirming and that is where you will find her most evenings if she isn't squeezed in between the two of us. </div>
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Okay, off to see what I can do with my day.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01297276342288658765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-746418800789013999.post-13580089111256891652014-01-18T16:39:00.000-05:002014-01-18T16:39:34.048-05:00Oh Happy Day!What a great day!! Right now I am bubbling over with happiness. Well, as bubbly as I can be since I'm fighting some bug that is trying to take over my body. Anyway…I went to the Modern Quilt Guild meeting today, which I was excited about anyway, and they were having a free-motion quilting workshop. At the beginning a lady with converse type sneakers snuck in and started setting up at the front. I thought "she looks cool - I like her style - this should be interesting!" I paid my dues and was wandering around and started flipping through the cool looking lady's book…a quilt in it looked familiar, hey! So did the next one! Wait a minute…it turns out it was Elizabeth Dackson! I follow her blog <a href="http://www.dontcallmebetsy.com/" target="_blank">Don't Call Me Betsy</a>. She is super amazing and lives right here in Tampa. She invited me to her guild meetings in Tampa and I would love to try to make it out there. Her's are on Saturday too so we'll see. THEN, another awesome looking lady came in and sat near me. She is new to sewing but LOVES to cook and has chickens (ahem…Ernie…she has chickens!! I want chickens…) This awesome lady is Jaden from<a href="http://www.steamykitchen.com/category/jadens-blog" target="_blank"> Steamy Kitchen</a>. She loves to cook which is amazing because I love to eat…and cook a little myself. She lives here in Sarasota and wants to go to the Tampa meetings too and then go out for dinner afterwards. I am <i>so</i> happy right now. After living in Florida for almost 3 years I feel like I have finally found my niche. I have a wonderful boyfriend, I'm finally making girlfriends and finally making a life for myself and for Sophie here. <div>
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Oh, and I learned some tricks to free-motion quilting to top it all off :) </div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01297276342288658765noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-746418800789013999.post-42934614597107280822014-01-15T07:25:00.003-05:002014-01-15T07:27:31.535-05:00Sarasota Surface Design GuildI promised myself that I would get more involved in life this year. Creative life, community life, etc. So, the boyfriend wouldn't let me back out of going to the monthly meeting last night as I so often do. I joined in December 2012 and went to 3 meetings all year :( Poor sportsmanship. Epic failure on my part. I joined again last night and plan on getting more involved. Such a lovely group of ladies from all walks of life! The creative energy in that group is astonishing! Weavers, painters, quilters, art quilters, jewelry makers, nature printers, fabric dyers, doll makers…I could go on and on. Plus they do play days once a month and you can try your hand at something you may never have thought of doing. One meeting I learned how to hand dye silk and made a beautiful scarf. I'm not sure why I talk myself out of going to the meetings. Maybe because after 3 meetings I still knew the same amount of people? ZERO. This time I brought a show and tell.<br />
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An art piece that I have been working on. I will finish it as soon as I get my other sewing machine up and running. I need the free-motion quilting foot. Oh well, I need it anyway for the Modern Quilt Guild meeting I am going to join this Saturday. They are doing a workshop on free-motion quilting too so it is perfect timing! </div>
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I met some really amazing women last night and am very glad I have a boyfriend as stubborn as me who pushed me to go. <a href="http://calamitykim.typepad.com/" target="_blank">Calamity Kim</a> is a member of the guild and is a bit of a renaissance woman. She did a presentation/history of fashion and talked about losing your inhibitions and creating your own style. She talked about cutting up old pieces of clothing and reverting them back into just fabric to create something new and useful. I loved her quirky style and she was too funny! Such a great spirit. It is not my style to wear but I would love to make an artist apron using her techniques. Hmmm…just what I need. A new project…</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01297276342288658765noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-746418800789013999.post-81198653506737784992014-01-14T07:07:00.000-05:002014-01-14T07:07:10.007-05:00Winter Cleaning…Kinda Like Spring...but Not<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
So, I finally got fed up with my creative work space and took the time to do something about it. Our little duplex leaves much to be desired but I am so grateful to have any space at all that I should at least make it user friendly! When we lived in Texas we had a 3 bedroom house and the 3rd bedroom was my sewing/craft room. It was wonderful! Somehow I had to cram that entire room into 1 wall. I read a few of my favorite blogs and took tips from their spaces. Let me give you a quick tour. Now don't get lost…I know the space is enormous ;)</div>
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My very embarrassing "before"</div>
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The lighting is better than it looks. We have a wall to wall sliding glass door to the left of the space and a light on the hutch behind it. I moved the Ikea basket shelf thing to the side so that I have more useable table top space and can watch Netflix and my favorite obsession of the moment. </div>
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I added a little cheap bookshelf (<a href="http://www.target.com/p/room-essentials-3-shelf-bookcase-white/-/A-12630808#prodSlot=medium_1_5&term=white+bookshelf" target="_blank">Target $22</a>) and found a little hexagon shaped tray, some cute heavy paper boxes with ribbon handles and a pack of stick on labels in the Target dollar section. I may have to go back for more before they are gone. I labeled one little box for scraps and the other one for selvedges. The blue containers on the new bookshelf are from the dollar store and I labeled those with current projects I am working on. One is for a Split 9 Patch Quilt and one is for an Art Quilt series I am creating.</div>
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All in all I love my new space! All together my "remodel" cost $27. Whoo hoo! I guess sometimes it helps to have a lot of crud you can reuse and repurpose. It's still a work in progress but I will tell you this past Sunday morning was bliss. It's so much easier to sew when you can find everything and not trip over boxes. Off to sew for the last 30 minutes of my morning…<br />
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Cheers!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01297276342288658765noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-746418800789013999.post-48080910666939355012014-01-08T07:49:00.002-05:002014-01-08T07:49:33.602-05:00Short n' sweet...I have to get ready for my real job but I wanted to post the progress on my <a href="http://www.quiltingdaily.com/blogs/specialissues/archive/2013/10/30/modern-patchwork-winter-2014.aspx" target="_blank">modern petals table runner</a> that I am working on for Sophie's Aunt Robyn. It's been a challenge with all of the curves but I think it is going to be pretty! I need photo tips from Ernie obviously…<br />
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So tonight I will hopefully at least have the blocks stitched together and the quilt sandwich put together. The backing I found is a perfect match and I can't wait to see it finished! </div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01297276342288658765noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-746418800789013999.post-46347025523103671942014-01-04T08:38:00.002-05:002014-01-04T08:51:35.066-05:00Yay for Saturday!It is so nice to wake up and not have anything pressing to do. I can just enjoy a cup of coffee, peruse emails, news, social media, or a good book with a warm puppy at my side. I think Ernie and I are going hiking later to look for Bald Eagles so I will enjoy my quiet morning for now.<br />
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I finished my <a href="http://www.opengatequilts.com/bloggergirlsbomii.html" target="_blank">Blogger Girl's January Block of the Month II</a> Thursday. This will be very cute by the time I am done with it! It's fun to watch the other bloggers put theirs together and see all of the different color combos.<br />
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On another note…I have to have a proud mama moment. My daughter just turned 15 the week before Christmas. She has always had a talent using color and shading, etc. When she was young we would buy her more blank drawing tablets than coloring books. She loved to draw and when she colored in coloring books she would use the crayons like pastels and she would shade whatever she was coloring to give it depth. This is something she is working on for her 9th grade art class. It's not finished yet but it is already pretty amazing. It's been such a blessing watching her talent grow. </div>
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Well, I will jump back into the book I am reading for a few more minutes of solitude before the troops are up and wanting breakfast.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01297276342288658765noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-746418800789013999.post-42547939563968675092014-01-02T07:05:00.000-05:002014-01-02T07:05:12.551-05:00New Year…New Goals!This may have been one of the best New Years ever. Of course I was asleep (or trying to be asleep while the neighborhood hooligans were blowing up their firework stash) but so many good things happened in 2013 and I just know this year is going to be full of good things too. Do we ever think the New Year is NOT going to be better than the last? :)<div>
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I have very simple goals this year…</div>
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1. Finish projects…ANY projects.</div>
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2. Get my Art Quilt collection for the coffee shop on Siesta Key done. </div>
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3. Take my Real Estate test and get my license. Class is done I just need to take the blasted test!</div>
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4. Get involved in the Modern Quilt Guild of Sarasota and the Surface Design Guild.</div>
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and then the usual…</div>
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5. Lose a little around the middle.</div>
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Okay, I've started 2 new projects to get the New Year going…</div>
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The first one is Blogger Girls Block of the Month.</div>
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Monique at <a href="http://www.opengatequilts.com/bloggergirlsbomii.html" target="_blank">Open Gate Quilts</a> has a free 6 month Block of the Month where you do 2 of the same blocks in 2 different color settings so by the end of the 6 months you have 12 blocks. She also has the settings designed for you for free. She did red and greens but has a list of a few other bloggers that are doing this as well and they have different color schemes so you can see what that would look like. I chose turquoise and tangerine…although instagram made them look like turquoise and hot pink :) I will post pictures as I go along...</div>
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The second project is a table runner that was supposed to be a Christmas gift for one of Sophie's Aunts. I was killing myself trying to finish the other one from my last post for the <i>other</i> Aunt so I decided to stop worrying and bought her gift instead. So this will be a New Years gift! This one is also from Modern Patchwork's Winter 2014 magazine. The colors don't show well in the picture but they are deep rich colors and the gray has a nice sheen to it. I just love that fabric. I am challenging myself because I have never sewn curves in a quilt so hopefully my next block won't be so messy!<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We'll see how this goes!<br />
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Happy New Year!<br />
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Cheers!<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01297276342288658765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-746418800789013999.post-53937951576125856762013-12-28T09:34:00.000-05:002013-12-29T08:27:41.711-05:00Post Christmas Not So BluesWell, Christmas has come and gone but this year there were no blues. Yes, Ernie and I had to go back to work the next day and yes, Sophie was able to stay home and enjoy more of her Winter break from school but it still feels Christmas-ish to me. This was our 3rd Christmas here in Florida and it was an overcast day but it was 81 degrees yesterday afternoon. We spent Christmas with Ernie's family and ended it with mine and I guess I am still relaxed at heart knowing that there are people in my life to love.<br />
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I think my favorite thing this time of year is seeing the Amish girls all lined up in their bright solid colored dresses with their crisp white bonnets and sun kissed skin and sandy bare feet waiting for the bus after a day at the beach. Even though there is NO parking by my office, everyone is so happy and there are large groups of families greeting each other while waiting for seats at the local restaurants that it makes everything ok. It's just a short time period and everyone will be back to their normal routine in another week or so. I tell myself to let them enjoy each other and just allow more time to find parking!</div>
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This is what I was working on up until Christmas:</div>
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I made it for one of Sophie's Aunts back in Texas. I found the pattern in Modern Patchwork's Winter 2014 issue. Here's the link if you want to<a href="http://www.quiltingdaily.com/blogs/specialissues/archive/2013/10/30/modern-patchwork-winter-2014.aspx" target="_blank"> check it out</a>! </div>
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I'm working on another pattern out of the same issue for Sophie's other Aunt. It will just have to be a New Year's gift :) </div>
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Off to get ready for the day! </div>
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Cheers <3</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01297276342288658765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-746418800789013999.post-53839126458395790222013-12-13T07:08:00.003-05:002013-12-13T07:10:47.229-05:00New BeginningsSometimes we all need a new beginning, a fresh start, a re-do. This year has been full of a lot of that for me. I feel like I finally have my life back after a long journey. What better time to start quilting again! This blog will be a creative journal where I can capture life in action, creative muses, and come back to if I lose my creative path.<br />
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I can't wait to begin!<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01297276342288658765noreply@blogger.com1