Ok, here's some photos

I know, I know, it's about time! And the sad thing is, I can't find photos of all I've done since I last posted photos. Sometimes I forget to take them.

Here's a photo of my Professional Tote. The fabric came from one of the vendors at our Guild's show and I fell in love with it -- I use it every day (even though it clashes with most everything I wear!). I also made one in all black for my sister for her birthday, but apparently I didn't take a photo . . . at least I can't find one! This tote has tons of pockets, including one on the opposite side that can hold a file folder or magazine. The front side has a zipper pocket and a pocket behind it. There's a pouch on either side for an umbrella or water (or in my case, Diet Coke). Inside is a center zippered pocket that goes all the way across, pockets on the interior outside (one with a flap), and large deep storage on either size of the center zipper pouch. There's yet another zipper to close the whole thing up!

Here's a photo of the machine applique that Diane taught me on Sunday (thanks Diane!!). I'm raring to go to start some more . . . . but I'm requiring myself to finish some UFOs first! Of which I have, uh, several.

This is a photo of the batik quilt that still needs borders etc. I think I like it!

Last, but certainly not least, here's a photo of a few of the Bento Box blocks for my sister's California Queen size quilt. I've got the sashing on one side of each block, and as I said yesterday, I was amazed at how much it took. I made a ton more sashing last night, and once I get them all squared up, will be adding. We may need yet more!

Now it's been FOREVER since I posted!

I know I'm terrible at keeping up with my blog -- just terrible. So let's see what's been happening.

I'm working on several quilts -- a Bento Box for my sister in California King size -- yeah, its huge. All 36 blocks (15" each) are made and the sashing (with scrolled variegated thread down the middle of it) has been added to one side of all 36. I thought I'd made enough sashing for the whole quilt. HA! Not even close. Barely had enough to do the one side. So I began making more last night --if that's not enough, I'll have to buy more fabric. The plan tonight is to sit behind the machine and let it do the scroll work -- it takes forever, and is pretty boring, but its a good time to do a book on tape.

Diane came over on Sunday and taught me how to do fusible applique in a way I really understand. And yeah, there's a photo and guess where it is? At home -- and not available for me to post. But now my mind is envisioning all the quilts I've been wanting to do -- houses and butterflies and landscapes and and and and and . ... . lots of other things in the works first. I think I'll quilt that one (it's a sunflower) and hang it in my bathroom with the sunflower my art teacher painted and gave to me. A rose I painted is in there as well . . . .as my sister said, it'll be a flower garden!

I house sat for Diane for a while a couple of weeks ago and got a lot of piecing done -- including putting my batik kit together. The pattern that came with it was horrible, the batiks are beautiful but there weren't enough of each one to make the pattern that came with the kit -- and all it was was a photo. So one day I just sat and pieced all the HSTs with the white she sent and all the batiks, very carefully sorting the fabrics into piles. But no matter how I turned it, what I did, I hated it. SOOOOO, being me, and being odd and never doing what is expected, I put them in a bag, literally, and mixed them up and then just started sewing them together -- trying, but not really working very hard at it, not to have 2 next to each other. Then I made rows, then I put the rows together. I end up with an on point square of unmatching batiks and an on point square of white. I plan to do the quilting in the white -- although my mind is racing as to what. I have a photo of the flimsy, but guess where that is? Yup, same place.

I have also started and am fairly well along on the quilt for Lynn. She picked out beautiful fabrics (with a lot of help from me -- thank you Lynn for letting me guide you) and the quilt will be, unless I'm sadly mistaken, just gorgeous. I need to take a photo of the blocks I've completed and post it as well.

Sandi is back in town and we spent most of the weekend together. Trixye stayed with her, but Saturday we noticed she was limping. Sunday it wasn't better and by yesterday it was really bad. So we took her to the vet -- she's been chewing on her feet, one in particular, and that one is swollen, red and just ugly. They gave her antibiotics and a steroid injection. They wanted her to wear a collar so as not to chew on it any more -- but little Houdini dog was out of the collar in 2 seconds (or less) 3 different times. So I took it back and paid twice as much for an inflatable collar that gets looped through her regular collar. Well, 5 minutes of that and she'd about hung herself getting the inflatable collar over her head with her regular collar still on -- who knows how? I was in the bathroom! Anyway, the vet's next suggestion was socks, and that so far has worked. Except this morning her OTHER foot was wet where she'd been chewing on it, so now she's got socks on both feet. I'll be taking the inflatable collar back tonight and then I'm off to Target to get baby socks. With painter's tape, the sock (so far) stays on without pulling out her hair when I change it. If she starts chewing on those back feet too, she'll be in 4 socks!

We had a quiet 4th of July -- spent it with Mom and Sandi, playing cards on Mom's porch. I have to laugh -- a thunder storm came up about 6 or so, and we stayed out on the porch playing cards until one particularly horrible thunder clap and lightning flash. I jumped up, said that's it, and ran into the living room. Of course, Mom and Sandi were right behind me, scared too, but it was ME that acted like the biggest chicken. I hate lightning -- particularly when it feels like it's coming in the doorway! Of course, once we got inside, got resituated and finished our card game, there was not one more flash of lightning or clap of thunder. We watched the panoramic view of fireworks from Mom's balcony, which used to be a much better show when she first moved in there 6 or 7 years ago -- the trees have grown up now and so you just see them peeking over the top.

Greg's mom has been very sick and in the hospital for the last many weeks, and isn't expected to recover. I have not heard from him, but they had told him two weeks ago they would be taking her off life support yesterday unless she'd begun to show improvement. When I last spoke with him, she'd not shown any improvement, but I do not know what happened yesterday. My heart goes out to him, that's got to be incredibly tough. I can't even imagine. So, yeah, I've held off on the divorce again -- not that I can afford it anyway. However, the tax situation makes it such that I really do need to go through with it.

Meghan and the kids are doing OK -- Talya seems to be doing well considering that her kidneys don't work right -- she's so cute. We webcammed the other day and she's growing so big! And talking and saying Hi Nana, waving, just being adorable. Meghan claims she asks to call me all the time. I'm not sure she really does, but I certainly enjoy believing that she does! She wants to call me Grandma, which she can do if she wants. . . Ricky is so tall and so good looking -- he's always been a good looking boy, but I keep expecting him to go through a gawky stage -- so far he's still gorgeous. The girls must be crazy about him, but he doesn't mention it any more. He was crazy about girls as a little boy -- he always had a girlfriend. I'd be willing to bet he still does! I miss them terribly and wish I could afford to have them come here or go there, but it's just not in the budget this year.

Ok, so that's my boring life. See why I don't post to this blog? There's not much to post about!