One Block Wonder

Ok, I started a new project - from the book ONE-BLOCK WONDER by Maxine Rosenthal -- I am thinking that a lot of people have started a quilt like this or want to - they are SO cool! It's sorta like the MAGIC STACK-N-WHACK QUILTS by Bethany S Reynolds ( trying to get all my credits right! ) except you put ALL of the hexagons together, not individually. Don't get me wrong,,, I like the Stack and Whack idea,,, what you can do with the material is just great! But I also like how you combine ALL of the hexagons into the quilt and not as seperate blocks.

Ok, confused? You find the really cool fabric that you wonder "What would anyone do with this?"... you have to buy enough fabric so that you have so many repeats. You cut the width of fabric from repeat to repeat then you cut that into strips. THEN you cut those stips into 60 degree triangles - this gives you the hexagon!

This is what two of the 'blocks' look like

they are really really cool! Now, I have to put up a design wall so I can put them up, move them around and see what looks best.

Until then!

The Day After Christmas

It's the day after Christmas and I'm back at work - where did those 4 days go?? We had family and friends over, ate lots of food ( my tummy doesn't feel so good, either ) and slept in late every morning.

The tree got decorated, presents were wrapped, candles were lit and the ham was baked -- our home looked really pretty.

Saturday I did NOTHING! It was wonderful to stay in my jamas most of the day and be lazy... nothing I had to get out and do. I worked on the puppy dog rag quilt that I made for my grandson and got it all finished - thought it would take just a couple of hours, but I managed to spread it out thru the whole day.... Hubby watched the Cowboy's football game so he was occupied.... a great day !

Sunday, gee, what did we do?? OH! I remember now,,, went to WalMart and did the whole big shopping thing,,,, I was surprised that it was just jammed packed but it wasn't really bad. After $200+ spent, at least Hubby was home and could bring it into the house for me! My friend L. came over for the afternoon.... we usually meet at her house once a month for our Saturday bee but I couldn't make it - so she came over to my house and we talked and chatted - then we went to Joann's to see what we could buy.... LOL I was REALLY good! No FABRIC, but I can't sayt he same for L. They had all the mardowns at another 50% off so she bought a LOT! It was nice not buying any,,, not worring about where I going to put it. I was very very proud of myself. Another great day!

Monday,,, ahh,, Christmas Eve. People were coming over later so I baked a spiral ham and got the house all ready. Looked real nice if I do say so. We had ham, potato salad, cole slaw, rolls, pickles, olives -- and for dessert there was pumpkin pie, pecan pie, fruit cake, cookies and pumpkin cheesecake. Much too much.... Lets see, we had my MIL, and my BIL and his wife and two daughters ( 9 and 6 ) and my hubby's nephew and then hubby and me. It was a really nice evening..... took the obiligitory pictures in front of the fireplace but you have to do that at least once a year! After everyone left, cleaned up and went to bed... after all Santa was coming!

Tuesday - CHRISTMAS DAY! We slept in, no reason to jump up and being lazy felt nice. Hubby got me a whole big bag of chocolate - the last week I can eat it! and Perfume ( BEAUTIFUL ) and a couple of cd's. I got him a Charlie Brown ornament and a biography of Charles Shultz that he had asked for and I want him to go find a new briefcase. I couldn't buy it for him,he is too picky, but I can pay for what he wants. Late in the afternoon my two sons and their familes came over and my MIL. Quite a house full! BUT lots of fun! The kids all made a hall. My 2 year old grandson wasn't in too good of a mood but he liked the Wiggles books that we got him. The puppy quilt I worked on so hard didn't impress him. He didn't even look at it - the Wiggles books were his favorite! When the big kids were opening his presents, he didn't understand that there was nothing for him to open.... we should have let him open for the kids cause that was all he wanted to do! After everyone left laden with presents and leftover food my Hubby and I collapsed! I was sitting watching TV and falling asleep - so I did!

Christmas was very good this year with family and friends around us.

We are blessed...

Christmas Weekend

Whoopee !! Four whole days off -- aarrgghh but SO much to do! We have the tree up ( it's pre-lit so I don't have to worry about that,,, ) but no ornaments on it. They are still in the storage shed and have not been gotten out yet.
Light outside just got done last nite - and he's not happy with them so I bet he does more !
Presents are almost purchased but wrapping will happen tonite during the Cowboy game ( or so he says) Personally, I'm all for those cute gift bags! SO easy! Just stick the gift in,, roll up a piece or three of tissue, stick it in and VOILA! you're done!

Christmas Eve and Christmas Day we are home, will entertain family and friends who come by... my idea! They can come see us as their time allows. The grown kids have families and wives and all that goes with that and bunches of places to go - I didn't want any specific time frame for them to have to show up.

We will have spiral ham - yes, I will doctor it up with honey, maple syrup, and the glaze topping, along with potatoe salad, pink stuff, cole slaw, pickles, olives, etc.... just all stuff that can be gotten out really easy. Think I will even get out the good china! Why not use it? I've had it for almost 40 years and have used it maybe just a handful of times.... we need to see it more often!

Oh, think I'll get out the Spode Christmas stuff, too, the little dessert plates and cups - they are so pretty! ( too bad they are not really Spode but the knockoff.... oh well, still just as pretty! )

Mother in law will probably be here most of the days, too.... I'll put her to work making stuff!

Ok, gotta get ready for the Christmas Celebration! But First!

Let me tell you about this really great site I found while browsing for quilt things... it's FAT CAT PATTERNS and she is from
Garland TX... the site is http://www.fatcatpatterns.com and she has some of the cutest machine ( or hand ) applique designs!!! They are in Adobe format and it looks like most are free to download! If you use them in something, please acknowledge where you got the design.... no, I don't have anything to do with the site or designs, I just think that if we use someone's imagination,,, we should give credit.

Anyway,,, check out the site and

Merry Christmas!!!

The Leader of the Band is gone

Sad,,,, only 56 years old.... and gone.
Not very old...

Dan Folgelberg was a really great singer and I listened to him all the time. But today my favorite song is Same Auld Lang Syne -- you can listen here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cIGiX-vc6M8&feature=related

Makes me teary eyed for what was, was could have been, what is no longer.

Gee, if we could change our past, where would we be? How many different things would you change? I would probably still be married to my first husband, I know my sons would have been happier. The paths we take are strange sometimes, aren't they.

Ok, I'm being teary eyed,,,,

Enjoy the music

Header Picture

LOL Another rambling -- the header picture,, took me FOREVER to figure out how to do this,,, and I am not sure that I like what happened,,, it is a block that I made for a round robin.... just wonderful group of people and the blocks that I am seeing are just fantastic,,,, any way,,, here is the full block...... It is from the QuiltMavens Yahoo Group,,,, I've had more fun making blocks for the swap,,, beautiful batiks and great spikey designs.

Check it out! Quilt Mavens,,,, there is even a book, Quilt Mavens Perfect Paper Pieceing... I highly recommend it.

LOL I have lots of material already purchased to make all the quilts - now where do I find the time???? I know! Get off the computer!

No title, Just thoughts

Sunday morning -- its been a long time since I have posted anything.... I think one of my new years resolutions will be to remedy that... I should be able to do something once a week - maybe Sunday morning would be a good time.

Woke up this morning at about 5:45am,,, a day to sleep late and I get up at my normal time -- bummer... I'll take a nap this afternoon! Oh I do love a good nap!!

It is VERY cold here in Texas,,, I don't like the cold.. that is why I moved from the mid-west in my late teens... so as I could get out of high school,,, hated the cold, and the snow, and all that goes with it. Think I should move somewhere even warmer now, though -- hhmmm wonder if my husband would move with me >> see the big grin?

HAHA I got colder just thinking about it, so I put on my houseshoes ( I had on socks ) and heated up my corn bag tube thingy...

this is a long tube of fabric that is filled with deer corn ( OH you should smell it when heated up, just like fresh popcorn! ). I keep it in the freezer when I'm not using it. Frozen, it is great for sprains or bruises or something like that. But I heat it in the microwave and use it for headaches or muscle aches. Right now it is being used like a hot water bottle, to keep my little self all toasty warm,,,, yummy! sitting right here in my lap. My shoulder has been hurting for some unknown reason ( other than old age ) so I have been using it to help that.

I also get these horrible stress headaches,,,, from my shoulders up my neck to the top of my head - sometimes I just want to cry they hurt so bad. So I take my corn tube thingy and heat it up and put it around my shoulders and lay my head back on it and it feels just wonderful ---

it is about 18 inches long, maybe longer and about 6 inches wide. It's not FULL of corn but just enough... well I was trying to past a picture of the darn thing, but something's not working right....
A friend of mine makes them for Christmas presents but she buys socks, tube socks, and fills them full of rice.... I like my popcorn smelling roll!

Ok, gotta figure out why my pictures are not posting.... Hey! I got it to work!

thanks for reading!
me