Follow my blog with Bloglovin You know that Google is doing away with the Blogs... A major bummer, so I need to download all the old stuff and switch over to another Blog site. Come Follow my blog with Bloglovin so many other Blogs are there and it is easier to be on the same platform.

Ah yes, I have been gone for awhile... Since last seen, we have had another tragedy in my home city and state! I was not at the marathon finish as I had to work that day, but I did have to stay home due to the "stay in place" order that was given. Seems that I choose to live in a scary part of the state. So glad my parents where not here as they live within a mile and a half from the shoot out and the final capture.

In the mean time I have finished my temporary position at the manufacturing company (the Monday after the "stay in place" order was lifted) and I have been DESPERATELY looking for a permanent position.  Have you ever heard the saying "Too young to Retire, Too old to Hire"? That would be me... bummer by true.

So, as I started this posting out, I am moving to Bloglovin and I'd love for you to join me there!

Take care,

J

Life...

Life wasn't meant to be without mistakes. It wasn't made to be without change. Change happens every single day, every single minute. And there is no mistake except the failure to accept change.

I have been running around since before Christmas and my blog has suffered greatly. I spent Christmas with family in the Boston area. Two days later I was winging my way to Midland Texas to spend ten days in an Acute Care facility being an advocate for a dear friend. I came back and spent the next two weeks trying to catch up with work and home stuff. 

Then three little munchkins came to visit :) Grandkids :) As two of them are allergic to the cat, I was doing a very deep cleaning for over a week. The third one does not appear to be allergic, but time will tell. He does not want to crawl and is almost walking already at 9 months! 

The best part of the weekend was pulling out the Hello Kitty Sewing Machine to sit with my granddaughter to start to sew. The older grandson now wants to learn as well.

It is time to get ready for work, yes I am still at the temporary job, almost a year! Where has the time gone!

Thank you for stopping by!

Ciao for now

J :)

It seems that I have only been posting of late after a tragedy. That has been true, but once again there is a need.

With the tragedy in the Connecticut school that struck the hearts of so many across the world just a few days ago, leaves most of us with questions that may not ever be answered.  But if one of the questions you have is what can you do to help make a difference in the children who did physically survive this ordeal there is something that may seem simple but it could still be so touching to know they are being thought of as well.  And you can do this easily with your own children, it is making pillowcases!  :-)

I saw on Facebook yesterday that Becky, of Quilter's Corner  is trying to collect 600 new home-made pillow cases for the children who still attend Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Connecticut by the return of Christmas break.  

Quliter's Corner in New Milford, CT is collecting pillowcases for the children at Sandy Hook School. She is trying to collect around 600.  Please pass this message to any sewing friends. Pillowcases can be mailed to her at:  Quilters Corner, 312 Danbury Rd, New Milford, CT. 06776.  

Okay, I can make a few pillow cases. The best part is this video on how to make the tube pillow cases from when Missouri Quilt Co was helping to raise a Million Pillowcase Challenge.

Easy Tube Pillow Case Tutorial - Support the Million Pillowcase Challenge!
www.youtube.com http://missouriquiltco.com/ - 

This is the easiest, cutest, quickest pillowcase y

ou will ever make! 

So now, can you make a pillow case or two? I do hope you join me in this effort.

Ciao for now! :)

Take care, J

Superstorm Sandy Quits & Blanket Drive

I know that I have mentioned this Quilt and Blankets Drive a number of times on Facebook, but I have been among the missing here..

If you could help it would be great!

Because as if the devastation from Hurricane Sandy wasn’t enough, NY & NJ, which where the areas that where hit very hard are experiencing snow and really cold temps, the winter temps that had not been around. 

There are many people who are still homeless or have no power. 

While there are quite a few efforts in the works in the quilting community nationwide to gather quilts and blankets for these hard-hit areas, one of which is being spearheaded by Victoria Findlay Wolfe 

SUPER STORM SANDY

has devastated much of our area.

QUILTS AND BLANKETS are needed ASAP.

Homemade or Store Bought, ANY SIZE.

Acacia Network

Attn: Pete Gonzalez

311 East 175th Street

Bronx, NY 10457

Victoria is a friend of a friend, and that connection makes me trust that this is a valid effort to help. I have started to collect quilts and blankets to support this effort. 

I have been going through my closets and pulling from my quilt closet. Several people who saw my post on Facebook earlier have already contacted me. These quilts and blankets don’t have to be new (but please…in good condition and freshly washed!) and can be handmade or store-bought, all sizes are needed. If you are sending a quilt/blanket, please make a label with your name and email :)

When mailing them:

Please include your

name,

address

and email

and phone inside the box.

SHIP with Delivery confirmation.

Quilt Questions please contact:

Lane Falcon

at

lfalcon@acacianetwork.org

I know that I have been among the missing and we did not suffer as much as NY & NJ, but life has gotten busy and my blog has suffered. Thank you all who continue to check in and see if I am still here :)

Ciao for now! J

Yep, among the missing...

So last night was our first guild meeting of the new year. We have a Quilt Show on October 13 & 14, 2012 and this was the only meeting we will have before the show.

Of course, because I have not posted since August, I was asked last night if I had forgotten my blog... Nope, just a tad busy...

Since I last posted I have done some quilting, made a slew (about 90) of signature blocks, wrote a note to go with them, labeled them, and gone to the Post Office to mail them off. As they are going all over the world, it was necessary to seperate the different countries and get the correct postage for the different area's. I think I sent out close to 40 for different parts of the US, 24 to Canada, 24 to Australia, 2 to Malasia, and then other countries. It took a while to get them all made, signed, and on their way. This was a Facebook swap... so now I wait for people to receive their blocks. :)

I also went to "Quilter's Take Manhattan" last weekend. We left Boston on Saturday morning on the 6 am bus for NYC. We arrived in NYC around 10:30 am, we stopped for brunch, and I was off to my show and my husband went to catch the ferry to Long Island. We both had a great time and met up around 4:30 and went to the City Quilter to pick up some fabric that I can't get in Boston (all New York City themed fabric). Then it was off to an early dinner and off to catch the bus back to Boston. We got home around 12:30 pm. A quick and fun time :) Yes we would take the 'Go Bus' to and from NYC again. It leaves much closer to our house and early enough to make much more sense.

So now I have to make a sleeve for one of my quilts for the show, finish a jacket and start and complete my challenge quilt.

See Ms. G I did update my blog :) Thank you for the nudge!

Thanks for stopping by :)

Ciao for now!

J :)

Pondering

It is Sunday, a day of rest, for some. Around our house it is catching up with the chores for the week, which means laundry. As we rent, we do not have a washer or dryer in our place, but we do have one next door.

I do have to admit that there is one in the basement of the house we live in, but the back stairs are down right scary to use and the people who live downstairs store everything they are not using down there so there is no room to move. That and the cat litter box for their two cats is in the basement and they do not clean it up on a regular basis is enough of a reason for me to refuse to go down there.

This morning, as my hubby was taking some laundry next door, the landlord stopped him to apologize for the  people downstairs having a yard sale on the front lawn yesterday. I am sorry, don't tell me the day of that you are having a yard sale on the shared front lawn, are going to block the driveway and porch, and wonder why I am pissed off... Are you that dumb?

Instead of ranting and raving I started working on some signature quilt blocks that I need to mail out this week. I also need to get the measurements of the picture quilt I did for my brother for his birthday. The quilt show will be here before you know it and I have to register my quilts. I also need to finish off my jackets to submit those as well. So I will be busy sewing up a storm in the coming weeks.

The best news I heard all weekend is that my younger sister will be coming up for the quilt show and be stopping to pick up my Aunt in NJ. They will all be coming this year! I was disappointed last year that no one in my immediate family, outside of my husband, could attend. It was, after all, the 1st time I had a quilt in a show. I had good friends come, step-siblings, in-laws, husband, but none other.

I think that being an artist is difficult, you need to self promote, self support, and continue to keep yourself in a positive space. It is not that easy. I find myself being rather hard on myself and ditching items that others would say are great.

Ok, so today is more of a rant than saying what I have been doing... but that is why I continue to say "Life gets in the Way...

I hope that you have a wonderful weekend and a lovely week :)

Off to Sunday Studio! Five hours of sewing with friends :) What a lovely way to spend a Sunday. Today is the 1st time at the new shop, and I will need to take some pictures!

Take care, thanks for stopping by :)
Ciao for now!

J :)

Sewing needles

Or, Maybe I should say, things you look at when your awake at 3am...


So I found this site when the description is:

• Expert ideas and tutorials about fashion accessory design, creative bag design, construction techniques, do-it-yourself approaches, and more... from designer and educator Don Morin. 

  Mr. Morin was talking about needles, sewing needles to be exact. Check it out at his website PERFECT STITCH where he goes into detail about different needles.

  Did I say things you do at 3 am?

  
  

  Thanks for stopping by, Ciao for now :)

  J :)

  
  

Resume Redo Time

This was the most interesting article that I have come across regarding strong words. I really need to review my resume for some of these words and change it to include many of these words. It is a blog article about a study done by Yale University on the 10 most powerful words in the English language.

Resumes need to be powerful enough to attract attention, create some excitement and prompt a prospective employer to call for an interview. Some of the 10 like You, Love or Discovery may not fit in a resume, but I could fit in some into my resume, check out some of the proven words that I am going to change within my resume rewrite.

This is from the blog:


1. Results. Use the word and give specific examples. Education and experience are important qualifiers, but employers are interested in results. Accomplishment statements describe a problem, action taken and result. Each job listed should have at least one or two accomplishment statements, showing results.

2. Health. Have you found ways to improve the financial health of your company? What about healthy profits? Or instituted programs to improve the physical health of employees, clients or customers?

3. Guarantee. Everyone feels comfortable with a money-back guarantee. While you may not use the exact word, how can you show you guarantee results? Why will you deliver a guaranteed return on investment? Accomplishments that list specific projects are perfect interview talking points that show how you can deliver for a new employer.
4. Proven. I like to use this word in the summary statement at the very top of the resume, as in “proven professional.” If you say you have experience in an area, your resume work history and accomplishment statements are the “proof” of your ability. Past performance is a good indicator of future behavior. If you’ve proven your worth in the past, it’s a reasonable guarantee you’ll do the same in the future.
5. Safe. Again, you may not use the actual word, but companies want employees who are responsible, trained in workplace safety and have experience with compliance and problem resolution. OSHA safety training certification can be a plus for a manufacturing or industrial job
6. Save. Use this one liberally when describing how you were able to save the company time and money. Instead of just saying you saved money, use actual dollar amounts or percentages to make an impact. Were you able to save the company from negative media coverage, embarrassment or exposure to liability? Some things can’t be measured in dollars or hours.
7. New. Are you on the cutting edge in your industry? Up on the newest ideas, concepts, processes, software or technology? Have you introduced new, innovative ideas or products or processes that have saved (#6) money and delivered proven (#4) results (#1)? Whether you’re a new grad or have 20 years of experience, being up on the latest in your field or industry is a powerful asset.

Check your resume over and see if you can incorporate at least some of these power words. Have you come across other words that are just as powerful?

Time to go redo my resume! STAT!

Thanks for stopping by!
Ciao for now :)

J :)

Canton Village Quilt Works - BOM

Just in case you think I forgot... Here is a list of the


Blogger's BOM Block Links

• Month 1  - A Quilting Life

• Month 2  -  Vicki Welsh

• Month 3  -  Loft Creations

• Month 4  - Pat Sloan

• Month 5  - Quilt Dad

• Month 6  - Diary of a Quilter

• Month 7  - Cluck Cluck Sew

• Month 8  -  Mrs. Schmenkmanquilts

• Month 9  -  Cabbage Quilts

• Month 10  - Pam Kitty Morning

Month 11- Bumble Beans Inc. 

Thanks for stopping by!


Ciao for now! 


J :)

Where oh where is the time flying off to?

I have emerged! Oh, that's true, you all did not notice that I was stuck under a pile of stuff! I really am, I need to take a week off and just clean... Thing is that I'll just end up in front of my sewing machine (Smiling face) sewing up a storm, instead of cleaning!

I want to give a shout out to A, who just gave birth to a beautiful little girl named Emma. Congratulations to A & J! Yes, I am trying to finish the baby quilt for Emma... I am a tad behind in my projects... and BOM's...

So I found one project that I think I need to make about a 1/2 dozen of in the next two or three weeks...

This is from Nancy's Couture blog for this card wallet

 5.3.11 |  Posted by Nancy Brumfield

I know y'all need one of these!!!  They are quite handy.  They can hold store cards, credit cards, business cards, and any other little card you might have. So grab your supplies and let's get to work!

Supplies Needed:

• 4 Scraps of Fabric at least 8" x 8"
• Medium Weight Fusible Interfacing
• Ruler
• Scissors
• Thread
• Sew On Snap
• Sewing Machine

For the outside & lining:

Cut your outside and lining fabrics into 8"x 8" squares. 

Also cut 2 squares of interfacing 8" x 8".

Iron the interfacing onto the squares following the manufacturers directions.

For the pocket pieces:

From the other 2 fabric cut rectangles 4" x  8".

I cut 3 of each.

Fold each rectangle in half, WRONG sides together, so it is now 2" x 8" and iron.

To assemble the wallet:

Grab you lining piece. Starting at the bottom draw a line 1" up from the bottom. Draw 4 more lines each 1" above the previous line.

Starting at the line closest to the bottom lay a pocket piece with raw edge  facing AWAY from you on the line.

Sew it in place using a 1/8" seam.

Continue doing this until you have sewn a pocket piece on each of the 5 lines.

Don't panic! You should have 1 extra pocket piece.  We will add that in just a minute.

Starting at the top fold the pocket pieces up and iron in place.

Now grab that extra pocket piece and pin it to the bottom.

 This time the raw edge will be pointing towards you.

Baste it in place.

Draw a line down the middle (4") and then sew. 

TIP: ***  Sew from the bottom up to prevent folds or buckles in the pockets. ***

Now lay other square on top of the pocket square. Make sure right sides are together.

Sew using a 1/2"seam allowance.  Make sure to leave an opening to turn it right side out.

Clip the corners.

 Turn right side out and iron.  Whip stitch the opening closed.

Fold it in half and iron.

Sew on a snap as pictured above.

Fill it with cards.

Hope you get a chance to try this pattern out. It is rather straight forward and easy :) Just my kind of pattern these days!

Thanks for stopping by! Ciao for now :)

J :)