I've finally gotten busy! YAY!

 Getting my pattern drawn onto my primitive linen.  Whew!  Trying to make sure everything was straight wasn't easy.  Had to get my hubby's help!

 Started working on my futher great-granddaughter's quilt.  It's a split rail fence.  Mom didn't want a lot of pink and happens to love purple so I did the purple paisley, pink, and lime green.  The back if pink "minkee" fabric that is very softy.  I cut my fabric into 2 1/2" strips and sewed them together.  Then I cut the strips 6 inches. (a little further below is a picture of that).

 Then I laid it out to the design that I wanted and proceeded to sew it together.

 Oops!  Some how I didn't sew it together right so I had to rip it all out and start over!  Ugh!

 Here it is laid out on the batting and backing, ready to pin.

 Here is the cut square I mentioned previously.  I cut this from the three strips sewn together.

 Here is the quilt all pinned and ready to hand quilt!  Yay!  I will quilt each strip.  Oh, baby is due October 18!!!! Guess I'm gonna be super busy!!!

Another view of my rug project!  It is called "Hooked Saltbox Row" and will be 10" x 26" when finished.  It is by Humble Handwork by American Fold Artist S. West.

A cross stitch project that I finished a month ago but this past weekend finally pressed it and framed it.  Then realized I hadn't initialed or dated it!  Sigh...

Work has finally settled down somewhat.  Still a mystery each day as to what I'll be assigned to do/supervise/plan next!

Hubby is preparing to retire which is a little stressful right now with the debt crisis we appear to be in.

Son-in-law keeps coming into town from Kentucky for job interviews and to look for a house so that is throwing my schedule way off.  Sigh...   Hopefully one of the interviews will pan out!

Looking forward to Sauder Village next Friday (19th).  Stacy, a friend, Sharon, and I will make a day of it.  We'll leave early, stop somewhere for breakfast, then hit the road.  After Sauder and lunch we'll head out to the Cozy Cabin quilt shop and from there we'll go to The Door Mouse quilt shop (they have tons upon tons upon tons of fabric!  it's overload there's so much fabric!!!), then we'll head home.  We'll probably have to stop for dinner just to have the energy to make it home!   LOL!  It's going to be a fun day!

Thanks for stopping by!  Hope you're all being creative and enjoying what's left of summer!

Best made plans...

So - I finally got in the mood to do some crafting/hooking/quilting/stitching - whatever this past weekend.  I pulled out my linen and a pattern to do a "rug" to hang over the door that leads from the living room into the kitchen.  Got it cut, folded over the edges and did a zig zag stitch to keep the linen from unraveling.  Then per the directions I drew a rectangle that was so lopsided!  So I had my husband help me get it drawn on straight.  So, I pinned my pattern that I had traced onto red dot tracing fabric and attempted to trace the pattern onto the linen....  I ran out of ink in my marker!!!  :( 

So then I decided I'd go to the fabric store and buy fabric to make a quilt for my granddaughter's baby.  So I looked for the pattern I was going to make it into - split rail fence - couldn't find it in my room.  So I went online to see if I could find directions and fabric requirements online.  Didn't have a lot of luck there.  So I decided that I'd wait until today - a friend had sent me a pattern via email here at work.  I've printed that out, have the fabric requirements and will go get the fabric and the marker after work. 

Next I decided I'd work on my Christmas crafts which is a stitchery piece that is supposed to be a pillow.  Not sure if I'll make it into a pillow or just frame it.  Anyhoo, every time I'd go to thread the needle I'd drop it, have to get out of my chair to look for it so I quickly became frustrated!  And then on top of all of that our air conditioner isn't working properly so I was getting hot.  So I gave up!  LOL!

I know, I know - I should be posting pictures but since I'm at work doing this I just don't have the pictures to post.  Those will come later! 

Hope you all had a great weekend!

I have been very lax!

And I apologize but please bear with me!  I've not been blogging much over the past couple of months.  Things in my life are very busy right now (yeah look who'se life isn't busy right now!)  I'm working on getting back in the groove.  I even finished the cardinal mat just need to take a pic of it and post the finish product.  I was going to trace a pattern onto linen the other night and realized I didn't have any way to trace it - no red dot, no netting - nothing.  So I ordered some red dot.  Meanwhile, I've gotten my Christmas craft ready to start working on and until I get the red dot tracing paper I'll work on that.  Once I get the red dot tracing paper I'll get that pattern traced and the wool cut (at least I have the wool for it!) and in between working on the rug I'll work on my Christmas craft - I need to make about 25/30 of them!

Julia - you are the busiest woman I know.  I don't know how you do it all!  I had a dream the other night that I'd met you in person and you were just as lovely and friendly as you are here!  :)  Maybe that was wishful thinking on my part - to meet you in person!

Hope you all are having a good day!  Thanks for stopping in!

Char needs to get her groove back!

With all these changes here at work, graduations, yard work, house cleaning, etc I just haven't felt like doing a single thing  :(  When I'm at work I think that when I get home I'll do some rug hooking or crocheting or start another cross stitch project and end up doing absolutely nothing.    Does anyone have tips on how to get back in the swing of things or how to re-motivate yourself?!? 

I'm having some problems with my blog too so I need to try to get that figured out.  Once I sign in, when I want to sign out I have to click sign in and then sign out on that page.  It's weird.

Hope you're all having a nice summer so far!

Thanks for stopping in and (hopefully) leaving a comment or two!

Take care!

Where has the time gone!

I've been so busy between stuff at work and graduations that I didn't realize how long it's been since I've posted anything!!!

To start off with - we went to Melbourne, Florida for my granddaughter (my son's daughter) Brooke's graduation from high school.  She graduated from Palm Bay High School and Pirates Academy with three honors. 

My granddaughter, Brooke, and me at the beach.  Good googly moogly - I never realized I had three chins!!!!

 My son, John with Brooke - still at the beach.  Isn't the water beautiful!

 The happy graduate!  It was held outside and was extremely humid and sweltering hot.  Thank goodness for 100+ SPF Sunscreen!  Brooke looks all calm, cool and collected!

 Class of 450 students!

 My honey, John.  My son John. And Brooke's other grandma.

 My son and I got up at 5:30 to go to the beach and watch the sunrise.

We had some good coffee from the hotel and sat on the beach for over an hour watching the sunrise.  It was so peaceful and relaxing.  As the sun started coming up a school of dolphins came through.  It was awesome to watch but I couldn't get a good picture of it.

Then it was back to work for four days until Memorial Day weekend.  We worked out in the yard some but had a lot more to go.

 My Anna Magnolia tree that will be planted on the front side of the picket fence.

My pink calla lillies that will be planted on the house side of the picket fence.

Then it was back to work for four days before our trip to Kentucky for my granddaughter (my daughter Ginger's daughter), Karley's graduation.

Again it was hot, hot, hot.  The graduation was held inside the gym with no air conditioning.  I gave up having a "good hair day" for either granddaughter's graduation!

 Karley with her mom, Ginger, dad - Tony, and baby brother Dominic who turned one year old on June 1. In other pictures he's trying to grab her tassle!  Note how skinny Ginger is - 6 kids later!!!!!

 Karley with her sisters, Toni and Felicia, and brothers, Andrew, Ryan, and Dominic.  Felicia in the sun dress is the 16 year old that is pregnant.  She had to leave the gym because it was so hot and she kept feeling like she was going to pass out.  She's not having an easy time of it and we're all very worried about her.  She's so pale and has just recently started keeping food down (she's 5 months along - due October 18).

 Me and my hubby with Karley.  At this point she asked that we hurry up with the pictures as her face was hurting and her feet were hurting and she was burning up!  It was terribly hot in there and we were standing in front of the open doors!!!

 Dominic.  He has such a good disposition.  His eyes are such a pretty shade of blue - it's a shame they didn't show up that way in the pictures.

 He was too sure about what to do with his cake.  And on top of it all - with the cooking going on their house was on the warm side and the frosting was melting and sliding off the cake!

Dominic trying to show his muscles!  Trying to move a metal tub.  He kept turning his head every time I'd snap the picture but the look of concentration on his face was priceless!

So now we're home.  I've done yard work - more pictures to come some other day.  Finished a cross stitch.  "Painted" some silk scarves - all pictures to some some other day.

Back to work on Monday...   :(

Thanks for stopping by!

Whew!....I think...

Well, it appears that I have not gotten laid off and I do believe there is no one who can bump me out of my position since I'm a supervisor and no other supervisors were let go or will be bumped.  Now, I just need to find out how all of this changes my job responsibilities!  Thanks for everyone's positive thoughts! 

I had a bit of a health scare recently - went for my routine mammogram and was called back for more views.  So I went this past Monday - not particularly worried - no family history, didn't feel any lumps or unusual tenderness, etc.  After they did the views they showed them to the radiologist who decided I needed an ultrasound.  Gulp!  So I had the ultrasound and it basically shows that I have fluid filled cysts in my right breast.  They told me it would be up to my family doctor to decide if I should have a repeat in six months or if it was okay to wait a year.  However, my family doctor just retired so a new doctor will be reviewing my results and go from there.  What a relief that it wasn't anything more than fluid filled cysts!

Getting ready to head to Florida for my granddaughter's high school graduation!  Never been to Florida and am really looking forward to going!  I'm so proud of my granddaughter - she is getting recognized by the Superintendent for her school work.  I'll be able to explain more when I get back.

Haven't been doing much hooking or stitching or quilting lately - my thumb is very sore (has been for about 3 weeks).  When I get back if it hasn't improved then it's a trip to the doctor for me.  It started hurting when I was trying to whipstitch my cardinal mat.  I was just pulling and tugging and tugging and I think I irritated my joints.   

When I come back I'll have pictures of a shrub that I bought, the calla lillies my son and his family gave me for Mother's Day and hopefully some nice pictures of Florida!  :)

Thanks for dropping in!

Take care!
Char

LOL! It's been one of those days already!

Welcome Gayle!  Thanks for following me.  While I thought I was clicking the link to follow your blog I actually am following my own blog!  LOL!  Oh, thank goodness it's Friday!

The last time I posted I was concerned about rumors of lay-offs.... well... they're no longer rumors! :(  Approximately 14 people will be laid off.  Not sure yet if I'm one of them.  No idea when it's going to happen.  My guess is within the next two weeks.  As you can imagine, staff here are very stressed out.  There have been a lot of staff in my office crying since the initial announcement went out a week ago.
Times are tough, economy is bad - it is what it is.  I'll just go with the flow and try not to get too stressed out.


Happy Mother's Day!