Tuesday...

I woke up late this morning... suffering from sinus issues for the past few days... not fun. :/

As I am checking my email, facebook, pinterest, and twitter I was listening to the cars driving by and it sounded like they where driving on wet pavement. When I looked out the window I saw it had...

not a whole lot of it...

just a dusting...

Still enough that it had to be shoveled... I wish the people downstairs would say and do this...

No, they do not shovel... there is a 12 year old who lives downstairs, a bus comes every morning to pick him up, every day the bus pulls into the driveway, in back of our car and honks for the child. When it snows, hubby clears the driveway to the benefit of the family downstairs... Oh well, my complaining for the year about them.... nothing much I can do about this...

Still the last time we had any snow was...

Yes, it was Halloween...

In the meantime I am starting to work on my BOM's I have the additional Blogger BOM's that I want to do as the blocks are small, the Crafty BOM that I have to start... need to check my To Do list to make sure there is nothing I am missing...

I signed up to "Do" a mini workshop... I'll be showing how to make a sweatshirt jacket within a 15 - 25 minute presentation... Talk about biting off a large bite! So now I have to make a few jackets at different stages to show them off... what a thought... what a lot of work... hmm, I know, I'll make them to fit an American Girl Doll! Then I can finish the different stages at different times. Also shows many of the guild members that they can make one for their granddaughters dolls. Too cute and it works very well!

This is one I have already made and given away...

I like this one...

 

Off to continue working on the B-day quilt, BOM's, and start on the AG sweatshirt jackets...

Thanks for stopping by, I hope you enjoyed your coffee break :)
Ciao for now!
J :)

Sunday Sewing

Sunday Sewing at the Quilt Shop...

Yes, this really is the inside of the Cambridge Quilt Shop in Cambridge Massachusetts. I am typically there on Friday night for Finish Up Fridays. One of the members of our happy band reserved the basement classroom for today from noon to 5 pm. It was great to be able to sew for a large chunk of time!

I am working on a few projects at this time (surprise, surprise, surprise!!!) one is the b-day quilt, another is thank you mug rugs for some special people (think sewing machine), and then I am making a T-shirt quilt from T-shirts of a young women who passed away on January 5th after battling breast cancer for the past 14 years. 

She was a wonderful women, my girlfriends niece, who fought a hard fight for so many years. As the years passed, she came to live in T-shirts and sweats. She was at her mom's house for the past 7 or so years. The quilt is for her mom. It is so hard to loose a child. Krissy will be missed, but I hope to keep her positive attitude in the T-shirt quilt. 

I have to update my quilting WIP list... I know that some of them are threatening to become UFO's... not a good thing. Also on my list is to clean out my stash closet... yes, I said closet... a walk-in-closet to be exact. So it will take a little bit to get thru it. 

We where talking about "shopping in our stash" as New Year resolutions... I confess, this is one of mine. I really need to either use, donate, or trade that which I have in my closet. 

How are you doing with your resolutions? Well I do hope!

Off to eat dinner, thank you for stopping by! 

Ciao for now!

J :) 

Rain, Rain, Go Away!!!

It's raining, windy, and cold... Good day for soup... The kind of day you crawl back under the covers and bundle up. I think I'll sew instead...

I'm trying to work on a birthday quilt (that I really can't post pictures until after I have given it away)... Yesterday I realized that most of my pins are bent and I really needed to go pick some more up. Before leaving I called Hubby and told him I would be in his neck of the woods.

So I picked Hubby up, off we went to the Quilt Shop, when we got there he went off to the Pepperidge Farm shop and I to the Quilt Shop...

Of course one does not walk into the quilt shop and leave with just the item you walked in for... I got to thinking that I need to make a new baby wall hanging quilt. Grandbaby #3 is arriving on April 3rd. Mr M & Ms E both have baby wall hanging quilts. Most of the stuff for Grandbaby #3 are in the Brown/Blue combo that was very popular a few years ago... No, I did not purchase any of that fabric... so there is none in my stash.

While looking around Hubby came into the Shop. Well he was checking out the iPad and I was checking out the Bali Pops... I'm thinking I am making a Postage Stamp wall hanging with some Pop of color from the Blueberry Bali Pop. Need to work it out on EQ7.

My gently used machine arrived! I am so excited! Thank you very much to my Aunt R and her good friend M! It arrived, from Texas, very nicely packed. So much so that I had to open the box outside, on the porch, so the little shredded paper would not be all over the place.

It is a Janome Memory Craft. I am going to bring it in to be checked over and then get to play on it in about a week or two. There is a part that needs to be ordered, that's ok :) It is a new machine (to me!) and I am very excited!!! I can't wait for it to come back so that I can play on it! Too Cool! Thank you R & M!!! I am a very happy camper :)

Off to work on the B-day quilt.

Thanks for joining me :) Ciao for now!

J :)

Blogger's Choice Bundle Posting

There is a wonderful Blogger's Choice Bundle Posting going on... that I JUST stumbled upon... You have until the 15th to join in... If you go over to Quokka Quilts Blog (yes that is the link) you will see where she says...

If you have looked through the Fat Quarter Shop's FQ bundles section, you will surely have noticed the 'Blogger's Choice Bundles'.Woweee, I thought. Wouldn't it be great to be so famous a blogger that you get your own bundle listed in the FQS? 

I got to thinking... what fabrics would I choose?... I get to pick 12 patterns and 3 solids... which would be my personal Blogger's Choice Bundle!  And here they are!

I am sure that there are a few that are saying that this is not bright enough for me... Well with a 1/2 yard of each... I could make a wonderful color block quilt for our bed :) While I love, love, love brights... hubby is not all to keen on having super brights on the bed and I could make this and have it on the bed :)

Hope you enjoy my collection! Also hope you get a chance to make your own and enter at  Quokka Quilts Blog.


Ciao for now!
J :)

A Quiet Time?

...staying home should be a quiet life... as I have said before... Life has a way of getting in the way. I spend the major part of every morning reading email, job boards, job information sites, applying for positions, researching positions and postings. I really should be focusing on taking care of myself of which I have not really been doing very well of late. The stress of looking for work is starting to take a toll on me... I need to step away from it and just do some sewing/quilting/designing for the next few days... So if I am among the missing.... I must be sewing...

Ah yes... speaking of sewing...

It was great to catch up with family last night for our granddaughter's 5th birthday celebration. We went to Patriot Place in Foxboro, MA to have dinner at the Red Robin restaurant located there... Everyone is paying attention to the birthday girl...

I always give 'consolation' presents to the siblings until they are around 10 years old... Our grandson is 6, so his present was two shirts... here he is checking them out with dad...

The birthday presents for our granddaughter were stacked & numbered ...

#1 a  Abigail Adams styled dress (sorry, I did not make this one, multiple fabrics that I don't have in my stash), besides, my husband doesn't sew and he wanted to share the gifts that we put together for our granddaughter...

#2 Mom and Daughter... Checking out the doll quilt... I wrote on the side binding... 

#3 Opening the dresses... One for the doll and one for the B-day girl.

Sammy's dress (American Girl doll)

Checking both dresses to see that they are the same... down to the pocket placement...

The Cake... and now she gets very quiet and shy... the staff was singing to her...

Check out the dress that Sammy, the AG doll is wearing in the picture above...
Yes, it is the  Abigail Adams dress... she had to put it on her right away. LOL :)
This is what the dress looks like up close...

Making fun of me because I was taking so many pictures...

So dinner was a success... Birthday Girl... Mom, Dad, and Brother... Papi (what the grand kids call my husband) and all three grandmothers (I'm the 'Step')... Only pictures of our gifts as the other gifts where opened at home, before meeting up with us at the restaurant. I'm glad we all had a chance to get together and celebrate.

Now on to other projects that I want to have finished before the end of the month! I have two blocks of 5 hours of sewing with friends coming up over the next two weeks. I am so looking forward to spending the time with them and finishing up projects that I am so behind with!

Ciao for now!
J :) 

Once again ... Frustrated

I am once again frustrated ... yesterday was filled with a face-2-face interview and a couple of telephone interviews...

    

Yea, I have been getting calls... just no job offers... I really would love to have a part-time or 3/4 time job and be able to do my sewing/quilting on my off hours. Right now I am stressing about finding work and not getting any of my sewing/quilting done on a regular basis... I am so behind!

This morning while reviewing one of the many blogs I check regularly, SITS, I came across this interesting thought written by Kimberly Gauthier...

Your 2012 Blog Budget
JAN 10, 2012 BY GIGI  

One of the things you should be thinking about during these first few weeks of January is your plan for your blog in 2012. What most of us don’t spend enough time on is forecasting the expenses required to maintain your blog all year long. In fact, we tend to just get from day to day. That’s why this post from Kim Gauthier is great. It talks about what she’s considering as she plans her blog budget for 2012. It’ll get you thinking, too! 

If you’re like me, you just started blogging one day. I didn’t put too much thought into keyword research or monetizing my blog. It wasn’t until I heard about Bloggy Boot Camp that I stopped seeing my blog as a hobby and started to view it as a business.

While I don't see my blog as much more than a hobby right now, Kimberly had some very interesting thoughts, as well as a break down of the business of blogging. If you click on the title Blog Budget, you will go over to the article.

On another note... I am busy making some American Girl Doll clothing for my granddaughter who turned 5 today. It amazes me that time is speeding by! So I found a few patterns at Liberty Jane Clothing and the blog, which is so much easier to check into as their web site has been overloaded with traffic and been shut down by the server due to the volume of traffic... yea, not fair, but that happens all too often. Anyway, the patterns are cute as all get out!

 I did purchase this pattern, it is for the jeans. I have another that is for a jeans jacket. I'll be making those later this month when Miss E comes to visit for the weekend. Meanwhile I am off to do some finishing touches to the two dresses I am working on right now. One dress is fro Miss E and the other for her new AG doll. The quilt is for the doll as well. I did purchase a doll size dress stand as I figure I'll be making a few more dresses...

We are having dinner with the birthday girl and her family tonight, so I want to have them ready to be given as presents then.

Ciao for now!
J :)

12 Things Happy People Do Differently

It has been a few days that too many 1st anniversaries that I not happy to celebrate have been reached. But along with them have come some celebrations. 1 ~ My sister & cousin's birthday (1/6), 2 ~ My brother-in-law, another cousin, and a very, very close friend's birthday (1/4), 3 ~ A nephew's birthday (1/1) ... so they have all had me smiling...

Today I came across the following article that I need to remember and thought that it is worth sharing.

I hope you have a fantastic day!

Ciao for now!
J :)

From http://www.marcandangel.com/2011/08/30/12-things-happy-people-do-differently/

AUGUST 30TH, 2011 @ 12:00 AM  BY: MARC

12 Things Happy People Do Differently

by Jacob Sokol of Sensophy

“I’d always believed that a life of quality, enjoyment, and wisdom were my human birthright and would be automatically bestowed upon me as time passed.  I never suspected that I would have to learn how to live - that there were specific disciplines and ways of seeing the world I had to master before I could awaken to a simple, happy, uncomplicated life.”
-Dan Millman

Studies conducted by positivity psychologist Sonja Lyubomirsky point to 12 things happy people do differently to increase their levels of happiness.  These are things that we can start doing today to feel the effects of more happiness in our lives.  (Check out her book The How of Happiness.)

I want to honor and discuss each of these 12 points, because no matter what part of life’s path we’re currently traveling on, these ‘happiness habits’ will always be applicable.

1. Express gratitude. – When you appreciate what you have, what you have appreciates in value.  Kinda cool right?  So basically, being grateful for the goodness that is already evident in your life will bring you a deeper sense of happiness.  And that’s without having to go out and buy anything.  It makes sense.  We’re gonna have a hard time ever being happy if we aren’t thankful for what we already have.
2. Cultivate optimism. – Winners have the ability to manufacture their own optimism.  No matter what the situation, the successful diva is the chick who will always find a way to put an optimistic spin on it.  She knows failure only as an opportunity to grow and learn a new lesson from life.  People who think optimistically see the world as a place packed with endless opportunities, especially in trying times.
3. Avoid over-thinking and social comparison. – Comparing yourself to someone else can be poisonous.  If we’re somehow ‘better’ than the person that we’re comparing ourselves to, it gives us an unhealthy sense of superiority.  Our ego inflates – KABOOM – our inner Kanye West comes out!  If we’re ‘worse’ than the person that we’re comparing ourselves to, we usually discredit the hard work that we’ve done and dismiss all the progress that we’ve made.  What I’ve found is that the majority of the time this type of social comparison doesn’t stem from a healthy place.  If you feel called to compare yourself to something, compare yourself to an earlier version of yourself.
4. Practice acts of kindness. – Performing an act of kindness releases serotonin in your brain.  (Serotonin is a substance that has TREMENDOUS health benefits, including making us feel more blissful.)  Selflessly helping someone is a super powerful way to feel good inside.  What’s even cooler about this kindness kick is that not only will you feel better, but so will people watching the act of kindness.  How extraordinary is that?  Bystanders will be blessed with a release of serotonin just by watching what’s going on.  A side note is that the job of most anti-depressants is to release more serotonin.  Move over Pfizer, kindness is kicking ass and taking names.
5. Nurture social relationships. – The happiest people on the planet are the ones who have deep, meaningful relationships.  Did you know studies show that people’s mortality rates are DOUBLED when they’re lonely?  WHOA!  There’s a warm fuzzy feeling that comes from having an active circle of good friends who you can share your experiences with.  We feel connected and a part of something more meaningful than our lonesome existence.
6. Develop strategies for coping. – How you respond to the ‘craptastic’ moments is what shapes your character.  Sometimes crap happens – it’s inevitable.  Forrest Gump knows the deal.  It can be hard to come up with creative solutions in the moment when manure is making its way up toward the fan.  It helps to have healthy strategies for coping pre-rehearsed, on-call, and in your arsenal at your disposal.
7. Learn to forgive. – Harboring feelings of hatred is horrible for your well-being.  You see, your mind doesn’t know the difference between past and present emotion.  When you ‘hate’ someone, and you’re continuously thinking about it, those negative emotions are eating away at your immune system.  You put yourself in a state of suckerism (technical term) and it stays with you throughout your day.
8. Increase flow experiences. – Flow is a state in which it feels like time stands still.  It’s when you’re so focused on what you’re doing that you become one with the task.  Action and awareness are merged.  You’re not hungry, sleepy, or emotional.  You’re just completely engaged in the activity that you’re doing.  Nothing is distracting you or competing for your focus.
9. Savor life’s joys. – Deep happiness cannot exist without slowing down to enjoy the joy.  It’s easy in a world of wild stimuli and omnipresent movement to forget to embrace life’s enjoyable experiences.  When we neglect to appreciate, we rob the moment of its magic.  It’s the simple things in life that can be the most rewarding if we remember to fully experience them.
10. Commit to your goals. – Being wholeheartedly dedicated to doing something comes fully-equipped with an ineffable force.  Magical things start happening when we commit ourselves to doing whatever it takes to get somewhere.  When you’re fully committed to doing something, you have no choice but to do that thing.  Counter-intuitively, having no option – where you can’t change your mind – subconsciously makes humans happier because they know part of their purpose.
11. Practice spirituality. – When we practice spirituality or religion, we recognize that life is bigger than us.  We surrender the silly idea that we are the mightiest thing ever.  It enables us to connect to the source of all creation and embrace a connectedness with everything that exists.  Some of the most accomplished people I know feel that they’re here doing work they’re “called to do.”
12. Take care of your body. – Taking care of your body is crucial to being the happiest person you can be.  If you don’t have your physical energy in good shape, then your mental energy (your focus), your emotional energy (your feelings), and your spiritual energy (your purpose) will all be negatively affected.  Did you know that studies conducted on people who were clinically depressed showed that consistent exercise raises happiness levels just as much as Zoloft?  Not only that, but here’s the double whammy… Six months later, the people who participated in exercise were less likely to relapse because they had a higher sense of self-accomplishment and self-worth.

Jacob Sokol is committed to living an extraordinary life.  Today he released “Living on Purpose – An Uncommon Guide to Finding, Living, and Rocking Your Life’s Purpose.”  He also loves his mom dearly.

BOM... Another one!

A few days ago, while reading my email, I came across one from Craftsy announcing that they were producing FREE Craftsy Block of the Month online video tutorials with hostess Amy Gibson. The big word here was FREE! I have come to the unfortunate time of no longer having an income, so Free is a good thing. But, hmm, another BOM? Yes, you guessed correctly... I’m joining in the fun as well... it is after all a "Stash Buster" and my stash is not that small... It needs to shrink and I need to refrain from purchasing... 


As with the Blogger's BOM there is no cost to join and you don’t have to prove anything to anyone (except yourself). 


If you are interested in joining, go over to Craftsy Block of the Month website and sign up. There are some other lovely classes... but not free... so I will have to wait for those. Just so you know the web site has this to say about the BOM class: (including the pictures...)

The Craftsy Block of the Month is a year-long class in twelve segments, each one posted on the first day of each month. For the first ten months, you’ll learn to create two of the most versatile, eclectic, fun and creative quilt blocks. Then, the last two months of the year will be dedicated to binding, backing and finishing your quilt. So that means the Craftsy Block of the Month will give you a total of 20 blocks plus a ton of techniques, and by the end of the class, you’ll have a COMPLETED quilt!

I really need to find a job to support my quilting habit! But this is a stash buster so.... it's a good thing :) Also, I like the thought that I will end up with more than enough for a quilt top! So, I have signed up :) It will keep me busy... along with finishing up all of my WIP's/UFO's.


Ok, now back to looking for work online... 


Ciao for now!
J :)

Frustrated... Again

I have been searching for work for the past 19 months. While there was a period of just under 90 days that I was working, I am very frustrated at this point in time. Not sure what I am going to do, but I need to keep on looking... Yes, I am sorry to say, that I needed to really rant... Not happy about not finding work... As someone said recently "I am to old too re-hire and too young to retire"

Meanwhile, I am working on some dresses for an 18" doll, and a quilt for the doll from the cutest fabric that I picked up two fat quarters from CQS last week. I also am working on a jacket for myself (the brown batiks) and planning another major birthday quilt...

So I'll just say Ciao for now, and catch you soon...

J :/

Welcome to 2012!

Welcome!

A Very Happy New Year to you all! May you all be blessed with Health, Happiness, Prosperity, Family, and Friends!!! 


Thank goodness 2011 is over, I do need to remind myself that when I look back at 2011 and all I see is a totally ghastly year (on so many different levels), there were many good things that came from it!  Not least the community and support from all of you, family, and friends :)


Onward to the New Year, full of hopes and dreams, may thay all be realized!


So I am reading emails, answering the phones, checking out different blogs, and chilling with my hubby on this 1st day of 2012... I really want to wish all a wonderful New Year!

Back to chillin' :)

I found a cute giveaway of some fat quarters... Go to Happy New Year Giveaway to check it out and sign up!

Ciao for now!
J :)