My How Time Flies

What a week! I had to go back to work last Monday and can't believe it is already Saturday and this is the first time I have had to sit here and write. To say this week has been busy is an understatement. Not only did I have to work at OHS, I also had the last week of Summer Volleyball League on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday nights. Thank goodness we got out around midnight on Monday and got out early due to team cancellations on Tuesday (about 1 a.m.) but Thursday was the killer. We didn't leave there until 2 a.m. trying to get everything all cleaned up, swept up and mopped. I do believe we left it cleaner than when we started. However, even with happy hour we still didn't sell all the food from the concession stand. Oh, well, next to giving it away, we did the best we could. It was great and I enjoy doing it every year, but this year was especially hard due to the late nights and the 3 day a week thing. I am really glad it is over this year.


Okay, now that I have told you about volleyball, the next thing is work. When we got to school on Monday, we found out for sure which room we would be moving to and I got the custodian to move my boxes for me. I have two classrooms to set up. One I am sharing at OHS and one at the ATC (formerly known as the Career Center). Thankfully my person I am sharing with came up on Wednesday and we got to talking about where my stuff is going to go in her room. I have left that until later. I have decided that if I have to, I will put what I need in a rolling cart and just bring what I need as long as there is a place to put my books. I am not worried about that space any longer. Monday afternoon, I helped clear out the old BCIS closet to make room for our coop stuff to go in there. We loaded up the back of a pickup truck to the brim with old out of date books, junk and more junk. It was unbelievable. The guys went and dumped that and came back for another load that filled up at least half the truck. From there, on Tuesday, we found out that one of my co-workers would be losing her office and closet and would have to move out. So, we proceeded to move and dump another large walk-in closet (which is now a principals office -so that will tell you how large this space was). Tuesday afternoon, when I decided that my co-worker would have to finish the closet on her own, due to the fact that I didn't know what she wanted to keep or throw out, I moved on to my filing cabinets. I decided, after seeing the room and sitting in there for awhile, not to take my 3 large, 4 drawer cabinets. So, I started emptying them and throwing away stuff that had accumulated for years. On Thursday, the truck came to move the rest of my stuff to the ATC and I spent 2 hours at the book depot shredding anything that had social security numbers on it. Let me tell you, I had a lot of that. 2 hours worth on two large shredders! From there, I went to the ATC and worked in my room deciding on how I wanted everything to go. That took up a lot of time. Because it is like this: move the desk, sit in the chair, look around the room, move the desk, sit in the chair, look around the room, move the desk. . . . . You see how it goes? I think I moved the computer table 4 times and swapped the computer and printer at least twice! I think I have it where I want it now I just need to find the extension cords and a longer blue cord (that attaches me to the system) that are all packed away in one of my 95 boxes.

Friday, I needed to take my car to get some work done on it. (like brakes that I have needed to have done all summer!) I had planned to get there really early, but you know, late nights and early mornings all week had taken their toll on my body and I didn't get up until 8 and didn't get moving until 9. After a quick trip to HEB, I dropped off my car and they brought me back home where I worked for a couple of hours and crashed again in the bed. Here it is Saturday and my friend Gary is coming over between 8:30 and 9:30 to work on the yard and take out my trash and anything else I need done yard wise. So that means another semi-early morning rise. Now, that he has left, I have to get myself together and go hit a few stores to pick up necessary items. (medicines) I have also realized that I need a bag to carry my Garmin accessories in so I will be making one later this afternoon to match my carrying case I previously showed here on the site. Off to the stores - hopefully they won't be too crowded yet.

Bags and Blocks

The latest bag made. This one was made from the left over honeybun strips after I made the "off the grid" quilt. It is a large tote about 17 or 18 inches square. Inside I added just one large pocket. The handles are two different fabrics since I didn't have enough of one (well, I guess I did, but didn't want the handles the same as the lining fabric. Everything is from the Aviary line of fabric from Three sisters by Moda.

Here are the latest blocks in the Bee Friends dash toward our December class. The top one is Cake Stand. My choice for a basket block. Since I had to cut several almost 7 inch squares in half to make just one block, I decided it was easier to make two, so I did. This was fun, fast and easy. I think I may have to make a whole quilt using this pattern. The bottom is July's block, mini bow tie. I have been wanting to make a quilt using this pattern. I have had the fabrics selected and put aside together for several years, but it has sat on the back burner just waiting for the right time. Well, that time is getting closer. This block was super simple to make and took very little time to put it all together last night. Now, on to finishing up the last two blocks from the jelly roll sampler quilt. Only one more to come out for that quilt, but that won't be until August 2nd. Can't wait to see how that one will be set. Of course, I may just have to do my own thing, but I will wait, semi-patiently, to see what has been planned.

Please sir, can I have some more? Fabric?

I know, I know, I know - I don't need any more fabric. But that's like telling any other addict that they don't need _______ (whatever they are addicted to) anymore. We just can't help it!
I traveled to the north to the Sewing Cottage -wait, is that the name? - I never can remember. Anyway, I went to the quilt store in Andrews. I needed some brown batik to set my pink, brown and turquoise blocks and I didn't have any. I know, can you believe it. Moi? Not having any brown batik. What is this world coming to? So, off to the quilt store in Andrews. (see how I got away with not naming the store? Pretty clever of me.) I found the perfect brown right off the bat and then Norma, the shop owner, tells me that all the batik FQ are on sale for $2.00 each. That she is going to have to go up in August. I totally understand that, because now batik fabrics are around 10 dollars a yard and I haven't seen a batik FQ - that is not on clearance - for less than $2.50 in quite some time. So, of course I have to grab a few. (no pic at this time - they are in the wash) I went to Andrews not planning on spending more than thirty dollars. Just get the brown batik and get out of there. Well, that was a great plan. I just didn't follow it.

I wandered around the store and saw a lot that I would love to have, but I was NOT going to buy anything else. But . . . . okay, there was a great quilt on the wall that had these wonderful fabrics that I had already spied when she was having her major after the wreck sale. I wanted them then, but wouldn't let myself even touch them. Okay, that's a lie. I touched a little bit, but I didn't pull them off the rack and audition them. I was already doing that with the sale fabrics. I told myself, that I could look at the FQ's and see if I still liked them. Silly me. Of course I would like them. There were no fat quarters. boo, hoo. I still wanted some and there was less than half of the bolt left of the majority of these fabrics. I knew if I didn't get some now, it wouldn't be there in a couple of months when I go back. So, of course, I pulled out the bolts and auditioned the fabrics. (Audition: to lay the bolts horizontally across the top of the rack of fabrics to see which ones go together better. Pull some out, put some back. Pull some others out, etc. until I have the perfect mix.) I got a half yard of most of the fabrics and a yard and a half of the main fabric. I have them all fanned out below.

There is a totally cool and retro feel to most of these fabrics. I loved the tulip line drawing fabric so I got every one of those that she had. When I got home and laid them out, I found a fabric I have in the store that is dark brown and has light blue flowers on it. It goes perfect with these. I think I will also add in some more red - possibly. I might use that red as a zinger border instead. I will have to see what they fabrics say when I get around to using them.

More you say? Okay, more. I had this weird dream a couple of weeks ago and woke up not remembering anything except that I needed to get 10 dimple fabrics. I blew it off and thought that it was a really random dream and that I "don't need anymore fabric". About 10 hours later I was on the computer and thought, "I need 10 dimples fabrics." Those are not the easiest fabrics to find so I googled them. I found a place that was having a sale on dimple fabrics - sorry they aren't now or I would give you the link - and purchased 10 - 1/2 yard cuts of dimples. (oops, Kathy. there are 10. I was wrong earlier)

While I was there, I noticed that they were having a sale on Tina Givens fabrics. I love her fabrics so I went to look . . . well, as you know, I also purchased.

And of course, I found some others that I couldn't pass up. (yes, they were also in the sale category.) Some oranges for my orange and gray quilt and as always some pink and greens.

Whew! That's a lot of fabric. Tomorrow, I will post the cake stand blocks I made at Bee Friends today and a couple of other things I have worked on this week.

Bags Galore

Quite awhile back I was reading through the blogs that I like and came across this tutorial for a friendship bag from P. S. I Quilt . What fun. It really is a little bag that you can put a few FQ's in or some cookies or candy. Just anything you can imagine to give to a friend. Just the perfect size for a little gift that is from the heart. I quickly used some scraps and made the top and left ones that night. fun, fun, fun. I took them to quilt guild with me on our next quilt-in and gave everyone the link so they could make their own. For that weekend I had planned on making a quilt using a new jelly roll I had come across. I finished the center part of the quilt and just needed to add borders, but didn't have the fabric there with me to work on that part of the quilt so I whipped up another friendship bag using the leftover scraps from the top. That is the bag on the bottom right of the above picture. It has a little larger bottom piece which results in a taller bag. You can't tell that since these are laying on my chair. My next thought was "I need a bag to carry this quilt in" So, using larger strips I created the bag below. I think the fabric is called "city blooms". This bag I used mostly the blues and green strips and added some deep red-violet Kona (can't remember the name off the top of my head) and some green fabric from my store. It even has a couple of pockets on the inside. It measures approximately 14" X 15". That was such a great success that when I had extra skinny Verna strips from the Moda scrap bags I purchased from the Sewing Cottage in Andrews, I decided to make a bag for that future quilt I was going to make. I was so excited to get this quilted and put together that I didn't do a lining at the same time so it isn't finished. I need to remeasure and create a lining and handles before I can mark this one off the list.
This bag thing will continue. I already have some fabric quilted and ready to go from left over Aviary fabric from the "Off the Grid" quilt. I haven't decided yet how I want to bag to go so it isn't finished. Plus, I got sidetracked by the pink and brown batiks. Then by my new Garmin and now that I have made that one, I am working on a cover for my business cards and one for my i-pod. Always working on something - at least in my head if not for real.

title change - you'll see why - read on mcduff

One thing I didn't really think about when I started this blog was the "definition" of a blog. Okay, I really don't know the real definition, but here is what I think it might say in the dictionary: blog: a computerized diary that is open and read by the public. I have never been good at keeping a diary. I am also not good at talking about myself or sharing myself with other people. I have had a boyfriend or two tell me that I am not good at commitment. I push people away when the relationship gets "interesting". Which explains why I haven't gotten married. I am an introvert. There, I said it. Most of my friends already know it, but I have said it out loud for everyone else to know. It's the Scottish in me. I would much rather stay at home than go out - anywhere. I love getting together with my friends, going out to eat, going to guild to quilt, traveling with my mom and traveling to retreats. Even hosting my own retreat. I do go out - some. The sad thing is, most of my friends would rather stay at their houses also, so we don't really go out much. We used to have monthly dinners that forced us to get out of our houses, but that has gone by the wayside because I was the only one planning it. Once I put the planning on the others they just crumbled. Actually we went for a couple of months before crumbling but I couldn't make those dinners due to other commitments. (hey there, I do commit to some things) Being an introvert and being kind of shy (unless I really force myself to be more open and friendly) makes me look kind of snobbish and rude. I was going to say that I really am not rude, but yes, like everyone else, I can be rude when push comes to shove. However, I am not rude the majority of the time, just unsure of the situation and shy.

This is totally not what I was going to blog about tonight. I was going to talk about these cute bags I made, but I guess I will keep them for tomorrows blog since it it getting late and I need to get to bed early for once.

Two for the price of one

Okay, since it has been a couple days since my last post, you get two today.

Thursday I went to Sam's to see what they had in their book aisle. I only had one more book from the library to finish reading and truly had only about 50 pages left of that one, I knew I needed to have something else on hand. Actually, in the book from the library, her husband was dying of cancer, I was crying and I knew I couldn't take that one to volleyball with me that night so off to Sam's to get a fun, laugh out loud (which this library book started out as) one that I could read when I got bored at the desk. While I was there I wandered through the electronic department on my way to the books and there, waiting for me to find was the Garmin Nuvi 1350. It was only about $120 and since I hadn't spent much if any of my tax refund, I thought to myself (what a wonderful world) no, that wasn't it. I thought to myself, hey, you need one of those! Luckily for me I said no and strolled over to the book aisle. Usually no one is there but me and I get to look to my hearts content and peruse all the books and magazines in a timely fashion. Not on Thursday. I don't know what was in the air, but the book aisle was crowded. I had to read over people's shoulders and maneuver my cart around their carts. I even went to the other side to escape them, but no, they came with me! Finally I found three books that I hadn't read that sounded interesting and decided to roam and meander my way to the checkout stand. I ran into one of my former student's sister and we stood and talked for 30 minutes or so finding out about the family and how everything was going in her and her sisters lives. (a couple of deaths the past years, but they were holding up and doing good) When I went on my merry way to the checkout stand, my head just said - "go for it" and off I went, back to the electronics department. My Nuvi didn't come with a case like my mom's did. So on Friday, I made me a case for my newest travel companion. It took me awhile and some ripping out to figure out how I wanted to do the side gussets, but I think it turned out great. (at first I thought I wanted to bind the edges which meant that the seams all needed to be on the outside.
This got really complicated, which resulted in the ripping out part) I still need to put a button and loop on the top or some Velcro or something to hold it closed when I store my Nuvi in there, but I will do that tomorrow or later today. I may even make another one that is quilted and not made on timtex type stuff. Even though I think the timtex will give it more protection than just the quilted one will. However, I will have to just make one and see what the difference will be.

The eyes have it

Late nights and early mornings is making me really exhausted!! Just a couple more weeks of this and then life can return to "normal" again. However, my mornings are going to be getting even earlier since I will be returning to work sometime in the next couple of weeks. Every summer I revert to what I think is my normal bodies rhythm of staying up really late. When I was younger I would stay up at least one whole day in the summer time which was at least 36 - 48 hours with no sleep and didn't really have any problems with that. Now, staying up until 4 in the morning and then getting woken up by my dog at 7 or if I am lucky 8 is really hard on this old body. Sometimes (okay, most days) I get up, let the dogs out and then crash on the couch for a few hours. I have even set the timer, but that has failed to get me up. Wednesday I had an eye doctors appointment at 11 and found that I woke up at 11:15 and panicked. When I called to let them know that I was "running behind" they told me to come on in. Little did they know that I still needed to get dressed, put my make-up on and drive on over. Thank goodness they are close by. The really crummy part was the fact that even if I had gotten there on time, I still would have had to wait. At least part of my wait time was spent sleeping on my couch! I have had a prescription for bi-focals for a couple of years now. However, I have not opted to fill that prescription and instead I wear my contacts to see in the distance and then I have purchased some awesome readers (lots and lots of readers) to wear to see close up. At night when I go to bed and want to read, I simply put on my old glasses and another pair of readers over the top and voila! homemade bi-focals. This year I think I will fill my prescription. There are a lot of fun frames out there. Now, I just need to find that perfect pair. For the most part, I will still wear my long distance seeing contacts and readers most days and then I will have some cool bi-focals to wear on those days I don't feel like putting in my contacts or when I fall asleep on the couch and am running really late and don't have time to put them in my eyes.