Follow up on retreat posts

I want to share some more of the projects that I got done this weekend. The first is my major project that I wanted to get done. I have had these blocks for at least 1 1/2 years. I had participated in an online group that did a block exchange. We each had a month that we sent out directions, fabric, and ideas of what we would like for a block. Each month we had to make one block to return to the person who's turn it was that month to receive the blocks. I asked for Dresden Plate blocks done in Christmas fabrics. I sent 4 fabrics along and asked that they be used in the blocks and to coordinate the colors to them, that way there would be some continuity. I also wanted the backgrounds to be pieced in a four patch using white on whites and cream on creams. So I received 13 blocks back. I only needed 12 for this so I will use the extra one to make a pillow. I finally got the blocks sewn together and added a border stripe print and here it is.

I couldn't get the entire quilt in the photo but you get the idea. I am so happy, now I just have to get a backing for it and quilt it. It is twin size. I would have liked it to be larger but it will be good for the couch at Christmas time or the day bed in my office.

The second photo here is of the mystery quilt that we did. We were given the cutting instructions before the retreat so that we could do all the prep work at home. I found it very hard to decide on my fabric choices when I did not know what I was going to be making, but I must say that I am very pleased with the end results. I hope you like it too.

These 2 projects took up the most time but as you can see I have 2 great projects to finish up by doing my favorite part, the machine quilting.

That is it for today. Tomorrow I will share my last 2 projects. That will allow me to share the quilt that was returned this week on Friday. So I hope this will inspire you to get some projects out and get them finished up.

Remember to be grateful for something, (I am grateful for hard work and the rewards of seeing projects advancing), and do some act of kindness for someone else, (mine-I added straps to the dress I altered for a customer who just found out there could not be strapless dresses at the dance and relieved that stress from her.)

Have a great day.

Projects from weekend

I promised to tell you more about the weekend retreat and I have pictures to show you of the projects that I worked on. I was really pleased with every thing that I was able to accomplish. I never would have gotten this much done here at home in the same amount of time. First of all I want to share that we were well taken care of and there were plenty of activities to participate in and a lot of goodies for snacking on. The Kon-O-Kwee Quilters have been doing this for 20 years so they have it well organized and laid out. Between the table favors left at our places at meal times and our Secret Sisters we came home with a boat load of great gifts. Just check it out, (I am sure I probably forgot something as I was gathering them all for this photo shot)

One thing that I know is not in the photo are the slippers that go with the bathrobe. Yes they gave each person a bathrobe with slippers, and the logo was embroidered on the bathrobe. How classy is that?

On to some of the projects that I got done. My first project was to make Steeler's pillowcases for my son for his birthday and new apartment.

I made 2 sets, he was so impressed. He likes the idea of having the home color set for home games and the away colors for away games. Do you think he will actually change them that often? Of course he doesn't have to worry about that till next season.

The next project was just something I had thrown into my bin in case I finished everything else. I am not really pleased with the piece, it was from an online class I took, but I figured I might as well finish the quilting since it was this far along. I did get about half of it quilted. So I will get it done. The quilting is making it.

So that is it for today. It will take me all week to post everything so keep tuning in for the rest.
I hope you have a wonderful day and remember to do something kind for some one and be grateful for something or someone in your life. I am grateful that my wallhanging I made for the Thread Tails to Vapor Trails show came home yesterday. More on that later, next week perhaps.

Retreat weekend

Well, this past weekend was wonderful. I attended the Kon-O-Kwee Quilter's Retreat for the first time. Fabulous. It started Friday morning and ran till Sunday afternoon. Here is a photo of the lodge as we drove up.

It was breathtaking to see. We had a room downstairs where we worked and the dining room was upstairs. Here are some photos of those places.

The large open room had this great fireplace in it. Saturday night there was a fire going in it and did it warm up the space.

You can also see part of the vaulted ceiling.

I will share more about the weekend tomorrow but now it is time for me to get back to some not so fun work. I am going to work on my tax information today. It is a cold rainy windy nassty day outside so this will keep me out of that.

Have a great day, do something kind for someone else today and be grateful for a nice warm space to hunker down in on such a day as this.

Yesterday was a traumatic day

I did not know how bad my mental abilities had gotten until I tried to balance my business checkbook yesterday. It shouldn't have taken long as I never had more than 10 transactions in a month, (I am very bad about balancing my bank book with my statements, so I had all of 2011 to do). I could not add or subtract to save my life, even with the calculator I couldn't get anything to reconcile on the first go around, even July's statement that only had 1, I repeat 1, transaction. Oh did my head hurt afterwards. The good news is that I had more money than I thought. Do you ever forget to record a deposit in your register? Well, I did not only once but 3 times. Good for me that it wasn't the other way around. Needless to say I had a headache when I got done. Now to do the same thing with my main account, the good news is I am not as far behind on it. I promise myself I will not let myself get into this same situation again. I will balance my check book every month.

I am working through my piles of papers and will be cleaning out my file cabinets and getting them to make sense to the way I file papers. When we got this file cabinet,

I just transferred everything I had into it from my small plastic file drawers and did not take the time to really sort through papers and make my files organized. So that will be on my list of things to tackle in the weeks to come. The top 2 drawers are full of files and the bottom 2 hold extra papers and misc. stuff. (I am even hiding away picture frames in one of them.) I have to work hard at getting everything organized this year.

Tomorrow is the first day of a quilting retreat that I am going to. I will post about it next week. I am so ready to go on this retreat, it is my reward for the hard work I have been doing with my bank statements. My 2 hardest chores to do: reconciling bank statements and ironing clothes, if it is fabric for my stash I love to iron but not clothes. I have to work on that this year and quit putting off the tasks that I don't like.
Here is this morning sunrise.

The colors in the photo do not do justice to the true colors of the sunrise. It is a glorious peachy golden color with a band of cranberry. Just beautiful.
Have a great day and be grateful for something today, (I am grateful that my bank book register is balanced.) and do something kind for yourself today. If you aren't kind to you then it will be hard to be kind to someone else.

Loose ends, tied up or dangling?

I have today and tomorrow to get the house in order and pack for my quilting retreat. I am so excited to be going but I have a lot to do before I leave. I am sorting out my stacks of papers in my office. I need to get my business tax papers ready for DH to do. He needs some pants ironed for work and I have a stack of laundry to do. I also need to work on customer quilts. One good thing is that DS borrowed my Jeep today to drive to school as it gets better gas mileage than his truck. He has to drive 1 1/2 hours to get to college. Hopefully not for too much longer. He is looking at 2 apartments today. Both would be ready for him to move into this weekend. Of course I am going to be gone this weekend so I won't be able to help get him moved in and settled, not that he needs me, of course.

I did finish some alterations on a dress for formal for a beautiful young lady. I hope she comes to pick it up before Friday. Her dance is next weekend.

This is a short post since I can see so many things that I have to get accomplished today and if I hope to get them done, I will have to close my laptop and not look at it again until all is done.

Have a great day and do something kind for someone today, (mine-yesterday was sharing my experiences in Paris with the Prime Timer's group at our church) and be grateful for something that seems like a trial instead of a blessing.

Steals, deals and left behinds

Here is my recap of yesterdays antics. First of all, spending the day with my good friends Tina and Debbie was the highlight of the whole day. We laughed so hard at times, commisserated over work life and the stupid things people do. Over all, it was a fabulous day.

Here are the scores I made at the antique mall and the things I left behind.
I was determined to be the person who did not spend the most money because I am usually the one who finds a great piece of furniture or something on the pricey side and have to have it. Granted it has a purpose when I bring it home to fulfill but still I spend way more than the rest. Not yesterday. I spent the least. I looked, really, but the only things that had to come home with me were these 3 pieces of Fiesta ware.

I am trying to enlarge my small oval platter collection to be used for Mexican night or soup and sandwich lunches. I have 4 and am adding slowly to them. So, I first found a single orange platter in one booth for $17. and held onto it. I kept thinking that I already had an orange one, which I do, so I kept looking. I came across another booth that had loads of Fiesta ware and found the red and yellow platters for only $9.00 each. So it didn't take me long to figure out that I could have 2 platters for $1.00 more than the orange one. So back it went. The biggest score though was the little cinnabar colored cup for, drumroll please, $1.00. So my grand total for the 3 pieces was $20.28

These are some other great deals that I saw that got left behind. A china set that is very close to my daughter's china pattern. This set is very elegant and was definetely priced right. I hope someone finds it that can really appreciate it and would not be afraid to use it.

That's right, 177 pieces for $165.00. What an elegant set, it would be a great set to base a mix and match chabby chic look on. I wish I had the space for it.

The next great deal that I passed up were these oak end tables. They were in excellent shape and they were only $45.00 a piece. You couldn't buy the wood and make them for that. I guess the only reason they were so inexpensive was that oak is not a popular wood right now in home decor but it is in my house. What do you think?

I really hated leaving those babies behind but DH said we didn't need them. (He knows the quality of oak as he made all the kitchen cabinets out of oak when we remodeled the kitchen. So I listened to him.)

Another great deal, I didn't take a picture of it, sorry, was a walnut dresser. It had 4 drawers, opened and closed freely, beautiful condition. $95. What I steal. I wanted it too.
It's alright though. I have more than enough and I don't need to be greedy.

Over all our day was wonderful. Breaking bread together, shopping, more breaking bread, and more shopping. Lots of talking, sharing, laughing, and promising to keep up this yearly tradition for many years to come. It was a great day.

Thanks, Tina, Thanks, Debbie for a glorious day. You two make my heart sing. Thanks for the memories. The only thing I regret was not getting a picture of you with your finds.

Have a great day and be kind to someone who needs a helping hand and be grateful for the good friends you have in your life.

Road trip

Martin Luther King Day. This is our day to go to the antique mall in Ravena Ohio. My friends from work and I have been going on a road trip for the last 3-4 years to this great antique mall for MLK day. It was one day that the clinic was closed that all of us could go together, usually one person had to stay to man the phones. So we are off. We meet, go in one car, stop for breakfast, usually Bob Evans, and then drive to Ravena, it is about 1hr 15 mins, from our breakfast stop. We have a great day visiting, searching for a great find and deal. We usually stop at Joann Fabrics on the way home. It is a fun day.

I was getting ready and looked out the windw to see a gorgeous sunrise, the photo does not do the colors justice but here it is. We should have a beautiful day for our road trip. Have a great one and remember to do something kind for someone and be grateful for something.
I am grateful for this day with friends.