Monday, November 28, 2011

Frustrated!!!

Ms Piggy is going on a pillow because it is going to look sooo much better than on the quilt... The quilt is at a stand still right about now as the sewing machine started making noises on Saturday after we arrived home.

Sooo, now I went over to my mom's to retrieve my back up machine... it has been 5 years since I really used it, so I am going to have to spend some time getting reacquainted with it once again.

Then I'll post pictures of all of the projects that I have been in the middle of doing when the main machine started making a stink!

I need more coffee...

Ciao for now!
J :)

Saturday, November 26, 2011

Traveling once again...

We are up and getting ready to get on the road to Boston. Not up for dealing with traffic... But that will be less now, rather than later. It was great to spend time with my family in NYC and stay in NJ. But the time has come to head home.

On another note, I will have to post the Bloggers BOM when I get home, as I did not bring any projects with me to NJ/NY this weekend. If you are looking for the BOM Month 3 block. Click on the BOM link and you will head over to Canton Villge Quilt Works, where Jackie is highlighting the different months.

It is time to get on the road, where as Wednesday was a 7+ hour trip, I hope today will only be less than 5 hours.

So as I head out the door, coffee in hand...

Ciao for now! :)
J :)

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Thankful for so much :)

As we are, at the beginning of another holiday season. I want to tell you how thankful I am for family and friends who have surrounded me with love and support. For those of us who have lost loved ones, the holidays are more often bittersweet, for you I send my thoughts, prayers, and warm hugs.


While we are traveling near and far to celebrate, a friend posted on Facebook, that we should take time to slow down, drive safely, keep an eye out for the idiots on the road who do not know how to drive in bad weather. We will be on the road this afternoon, headed for New Jersey. Yes, I will be taking it easy. Looking to go around NYC and hopefully miss all of that traffic. 




That would be the City traffic... We will be taking the NJ Transit into Manhattan tomorrow to visit my sister, her family, and family friends for Thanksgiving dinner. 






So while you may or may not be celebrating the holiday, I want to take the time to thank you for following this blog, and I hope that you have a Peaceful, Safe, and Joyful weekend.


Ciao for now :)
J :)

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

No pressure... except from myself...

Ok, so now I have no pressure from others... just myself... Ms Piggy is waiting... and I am working hard... When I started working this project, I thought that I would do a very quick quilt... I don't think I was really thinking quick as I designed it on EQ7, both Ms Piggy and the quilt top. Well, now I am doing the top 'on point' and I have never done one of these before... EQ7 does not give beginner directions... good thing I've been sewing/quilting for a bit...


I am working from the outside in, as the corners are a different fabric than the ends. Talk about making it difficult. Yes, I did make sure that the seams are nested, they match, and I taking it easy as I do this. It is looking good so far... :)

So much for this mornings coffee break.

Thanks for joining me, Ciao for now! :)
J :)

Monday, November 21, 2011

Stress?

I have come to the conclusion that when I am in need of calming down from a self-induced stressful moment, I need to get some sushi... Yep, not even 10 am and I find myself stopping for some sushi from the local Whole Foods... Why am I stressed so early? Well my child is still not feeling ok with her ankle and all the issues that go along with the complications of the injury (years ago) that continue to occur, so I was guilted (is there such a word?) into driving her to school today. The un-stress is that my SIL called me to say that "Piggy Project" would be very welcome next week, after the 15+ visitors who are expected for the Thanksgiving weekend, where leaving rather than arriving. OMG that was music to my ears!

These are some of the strip sets for the quilt...

This is a close up of Ms. Piggy, patiently waiting to be added to the finished quilt top... when that is done. 

Meanwhile, hubby and I where saying how we had a wonderful time with the grandkids this past weekend. I shared the museum photos yesterday... Today, something we both love to do with the kids, each and every time they are with us...


They have a collection of books at our house, many that are not at their house, so it is a treat to be able to read them to them. Funny that there are two specific books that they love and they both have to do with manners! Of course, they each have stories to tell about the different instances in the books that have happened to them and what they did about using their manners. The same books are located within the classrooms that the kids attend. Of course they do know them by heart... and catch us when we miss something.

Now that I can calm down from "Ms Piggy" I am looking at the The 'B B Q' , or "Black & Bali Quilt Challenge" that I signed up for in February... I have it in my head... now I have to get it onto fabric. LOL!

Thanks for joining me today :)

Off to the sewing machine...

Ciao for now :)
J :)

Sunday, November 20, 2011

Sunday ... or Thanksgiving at Mom's

We have Thanksgiving dinner with my sister and her family, who live in NYC. My mom has a pre-Thanksgiving dinner for all of the family members who will not be there next week, and who live in the vicinity. So, we are off to Thanksgiving dinner this afternoon.

We spent yesterday at the Children's museum in Boston. It was fun, and everyone was tired when we got home.

The cape? We where sewing before we left and the cape is fabric from some doll quilts we made. She wore it the entire day at the museum (except when climbing), to bed (not in the bathtub ~ she has asked if she could), and then today up until she left to go home. She was still wearing it over her jacket when she got into the car.

Climbing and running - 2  things that the kids are not stopped from doing at the Children's Museum. I think we stayed at this area for over 15 minutes so they could (maybe) burn off some energy.  

The water area on the 2nd floor is always good for a hour of fun. This was no exception...

More climbing...

There is an area for 'construction' and this was a MUST do for this trip... so, we went... and they raced, jumped, climbed, and did all over again...

Then they found the building block room within the 'construction' area and this was good for a while longer...

While we where eating, I snapped a picture... love the ketchup on his cheek :)

See that little red dot of a child in the middle right of the picture? That would be our grandson... The climbing structure is three stories (industrial) high, and he was at the top. There are boards above his head to prevent people from climbing up and out. You can just make out our granddaughter on the same level on the left. This is the 2nd trip to the climbing structure. When we get there it is the 1st thing they have to do, before we go we may have as many as two or three more trips to the climbing structure. I have a sore neck after each time, as this is my view from the seat in front of the entrance and exit. 

No trip would be complete without a trip to the bubble room...

The pig project? I have spent a lot of time on the pig project... The pig is done for now... On to the quilt. I have started the patches, as you can see from both of these pictures... You can also see the B & B challenge pictures of the quilt I will be working on this coming weekend. I think it will be going to R after I am done. She and I had spoke about it in August, so I hope she enjoys my take on the picture.

The pig looks so cute! It is a combination of paper-pieced and machine applique. I need to take a close up so that you all can see the details.  

Up close, or at least closer...

And this is my little helper for the weekend, our granddaughter :) We did fit in making a few doll quilts for her babies... and she was up on my lap to help with the pig project.


Thanksgiving dinner was wonderful. Of course, the desserts topped the meal...

That is two different pies!!! One is Apple and the other was triple berry.

It was a great meal! Thank you Mom & Al!

Ciao for now!
J  :)

Friday, November 18, 2011

It's Friday and I'm not finished...

Here we are at the end of the week and time, once again, has gotten away from me. Today is jammed packed with things "I have to do" and all I want to do is sit and sew! But this all will pass and I'll get to sew tonight.

The grand kids are spending the weekend with us, so (1) I'll not be posting this weekend, and (2) they are looking forward to sleeping on their bunk beds, and (3) we will be at one or more museums this weekend! All and all not a bad thing... Still would like to finish the "Pig" before Sunday...

Pig is now going to be an applique as I fought and fought with the paper piecing project and lost too much time in the course of those two and a half days not sewing. Now I'll be doing some 'hand sewing' of which I know there are a few people laughing at me right about now...

In between appointments, food shopping, and (I hope) trips to my Mom's, I should be able to do a little bit more sewing... We shall see...

Thanks for joining me :)

Ciao for now!
J :)

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Pig Project

It has been very tough trying to get the paper pieced pig to come out correctly. I have started about five and not one is done... Time to move on and find another picture of a pig!

My very good friends P & P drove down from New Hampshire today to visit. It was great to see them! Off to a tailor supply shop in Dorchester, stop for coffee (we do like our coffee) and then back here to do a little bit of chatting and sewing. They left just as it started to rain... before the heavy rain started. I really need to do a road trip north to visit them.

Back to Project Pig, I found a cute paper piece of a pig!
Then...
I found a Dutch paper piece of a pig!
 
Back to the sewing machine... pictures to follow soon...

Thanks for stopping by!

Ciao for now :)
J :)

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Paper Piecing...

I have been thinking of a very special "Quick Quilt" for a family friend who is very ill. Her favorite 'thing' to collect is Pigs. Put them together... and I have an issue... I don't have any Pig fabric!

So I'll create something...

1st off I had to find a pig...off to Google "Pigs" and then "Piglets"

Just one or two of what I got...
 



 



Just a few pigs... So what did I end up with?
This is the one that I am going to paper piece a few and patchwork the rest of the quilt
 It has taken a lot of time today to work this out on the EQ7 program that I have. I had never done anything like this before. 

So now to raid my stash for pink fabrics as I know that I do not have any pig fabric... then again, I could print a few pigs out... but that would not be as soft as the paper piecing will be and that is more important than pictures.

Thank you for joining me :) Hope you have enjoyed your coffee/tea/hot chocolate and break with me...

Ciao for now  :)
J :)