Making news out of no news (or little news)

Hi, all!

I know it’s been a long time, but there really hasn’t been that much new. I hate to ramble for the sake of having a blog entry - I ramble enough when I do have something to say. ;-)

So working backward, this past Sunday was my monthly scrapbook date, and I got some pictures of my baby niece scrapped. I need a picture for the first page and have to get her vitals so that part isn’t done, and I realized later that I mis-labeled some of the months, so I’ll have to fix and finish that up next time when I’m near the same inks and stamps. All in all I’m please with the results - they’re 9x9 pages that are made for snapshots (landscape orientation), so they went together quickly (no matting, even) except for the two photos I cut down to 4x4 and the page embellishments (which are close to non-existent). Someone else could have done much better, but it’s not too bad. And it’s done (kinda). :-)

Other than that, we had a pretty mellow weekend. The weekend before last, my parents came up and we kind of kicked back and played cards and visited. That Saturday was Valentine’s Day, so we went out to lunch and then headed to the casino to feed the slot machines.

The other “news” is that I finally broke down and joined Curves. I’d been thinking about it and making excuses for a while, but I took the plunge last week. I’ve had four workouts and have lived to tell about it, but tonight I get to start on the “smart machines” which don’t let you slack off. Darn. Maybe the switch is premature. ;-) I’m one of those “instant gratification” people, so this isn’t the most pleasant thing for me because I’m not really seeing results (and can’t expect to for a while). I don’t have more energy yet and of course I probably haven’t lost any weight yet (and I’m coming into that time of the month, so that’s a great de-motivator for weight and having clothes fit). I am seeing some extra flexibility when I’m bending and things, but that’s from the stretching and I can do that at home! :-p For all the groaning I do about the whole thing, though, it seems like a really good program and hopefully it’s something I’ll make a habit of and get enough results to be encouraging yet still have a healthy (gradual) weight loss. The one nice thing is that once the vanpool drops me off and I do to work out, Bill and I get home about the same time, so I’m not missing time with him.

Joining Curves has also put my crocheted garment projects on hold for now... the next few things I want to make are sleeveless, and I want to wait until closer to sleeveless weather to see if I am going to be a different size by then. I wish I had kept track on how long it took to make the first top I crocheted so I have an idea how much time I’ll need. Oh, well. We’ll see when it gets closer, I guess. I’m also torn about my summer clothes... I bought some nice stuff last year that I would love to be able to get a second season out of, but I also want to lose weight as fast as is healthy. I hate that. I already have one skirt I’ve never worn that I can’t wear that (it fit when I tried it on but I must have been bloated or something) and I can’t find the receipt. I hate that. I don’t know if I want to try to take it back without the receipt because if they take it back the standard policy is to refund the lowest price it’s been in the past 90 days, and it’s probably been on clearance by now. I don’t want to hassle it for potentially 75% off what I paid. Not worth it. I’m just bugged that I can’t find the receipt. I only have a couple places I ever put receipts, and this wasn’t in either of those places. Drat.

Other than that, it’s life as usual with my three waking hours at home after work every day, and playing on Facebook when I feel like sitting upright in a chair in that time frame. I have some sew time with friends coming up in the next month, so hopefully that will help me with that progress. There’s also a quilt retreat coming up at the end of April that I’m thinking about going to - I could get some things knocked out there, too. I wish I could work on some of the stuff that needs to be quilted, though, but it’s so much easier with my sewing table. I love that flat surface! Not that I’m taking advantage of that surface area now, but it’s also cold down in my craft room right now. At least that’s the excuse I keep using (along with being exhausted after a day at work and then working out).

Thanks, all, for tuning in!

Blessings,

Kristin

Sewing with Mom

Hi, all! I’ve been busy on Facebook and not much else has gone on... I wanted to wait until I had something to report besides what Bill and I had for dinner on a given night. ;-)

Last Saturday, Mom and I got together to make a neck wallet that she bought a pattern for. What we thought would take two hours didn’t (I wasn’t counting the hours, but it was a long session). We both tore out binding and wanted to say bad words (I’m not sure if Mom has reconstructed hers yet, but I did manage to finish mine on Saturday). All being told, I don’t know that I’d make another one just like it. It’s really a neck wallet - no accommodation for anything heavy or lumpy - but it’s a little big for just a wallet (unless you want to put your checkbook in there, but who carries those anymore?). If it were me, I’d either make it smaller or gusset the bottom so it’s flat and I can throw my inhaler in there. But that would be more complicated a pattern, so I guess if that’s what you want, you have to make a purse. ;-)

Here are pictures of what I made. It looks okay from a distance. ;-) Mom got really creative and made a zippered pocket for the back. She’s so awesome. Just a note that the window in front is bigger than for a driver’s license - more a size for a nametag.

We decided we want to do another sew day, and we talked about doing this pattern again (though I would make mine smaller) but the more I think about it the more I think I’d rather do something else. I have a purse organizer (or two) on my list of things to make, so maybe I’ll do that instead. I also have a purse pattern that I got that I might do. I also have a block I have to make for a love quilt, but I don’t think I have the right colors in my stash.... oh, WAIT! I just thought of some. Thanks for your help! :-)

Thursday night was my Girls’ Night Out sew night, and I got a few more complete rows and a couple partial rows of my rose quilt put together. I have some blocks I need to construct to get the colors in the places I want them, one I have to swap out because it’s wonky as all get out, and then I have about three rows left! YAY! After that, I’ll need to cut the setting triangles and sew those on, and then I can sew row to row. Then the border, then top done! I might even have it done by the time the weather requires a change of bed cover in the guest room. I’ll probably have my friend Wendy quilt it (if she wants to) as I know she has a nice rose pantograph. The only trouble would be if she can’t guarantee that the back will be straight as the fabric is a directional. Then I’m in trouble because I don’t know if I’d get it right if I did it on my machine. :-\ I’ve never used a back that needed to be even (I love the fabric, so I want to make it “reversible” so I’ll be able to flip it over periodically - or I could buy a different backing and make that one a wholecloth quilt - it goes with the guest room SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO well!!!. :-p

Bill and I are going on another wine outing on Saturday. Should be fun! Sunday I’ve got my scrapbook club - the first time I don’t have pictures to use. Bummer. I like layouts a lot better when I have an idea what I’m going to use with them. I might just take something else to work on and take the kit home with me for another time. I do want to get our engagement pictures scrapped and I have some things set aside, so that’s probably what I’ll take. I bought the papers from her, so I’ll have the same colors in inks at my disposal, too. That will be better than trying to match the inks I have to the other ones.

That's all for now...

Blessings,

Kristin