Last Post of 2011!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

My Husband, MIL and I are spending the last few hours of 2011 together, enjoying an early evening dinner out (first time in a decade or more!) and then heading home to read and maybe even stay up to watch the ball drop.  Sounds like heaven to me.  No cooking, no partying, no over-indulging, just being with folks I love.  I may even sew a bit!

Speaking of sewing, here is something I finished recently, complete with its own tale of woe. 

This wall-hanging is called "Loretta's Gate".  It belongs to my Mom.  She put it all together, pin-basted it, and then discovered that she just couldn't see well enough to quilt it (blanket-stitch around the black raw edges).  So it languished in her sewing room for quite awhile.  Then she mentioned it to me and I said I would quilt it for her.  So it languished in MY sewing room for quite awhile.  

Deciding to quilt/bind it for her in time for Christmas this year (I have to say "this year" because I have many projects intended for Christmases past that are still UFOs), I set everything up on my dining room table (more room to move the quilt around) and proceeded to work on it a little at a time for a couple of weeks.  Well, my cat apparently got tired of it being there so she proceeded to, um, "sprinkle" it, pretty thoroughly, on one corner.  

(The Perp)

The next day when I sat down to continue the quilting, I discovered her message of displeasure.  I quickly unfriended her (for several days!).  Trouble was, I couldn't wash the quilt until I had finished quilting it because of the raw edges.  So after it dried from its "sprinkling" I QUICKLY finished the quilting, QUICKLY bound it and then soaked it for several hours in the bathtub with a gentle quilt wash product.  Then I disinfected the dining room table!

Oh, one other thing I forgot to mention:  Since the quilt had been pin-basted for a LONG time, there were a few places where some of the pins had rusted. (sigh)  I had hoped that the good soaking would help get rid of those rust spots but, of course, it didn't.  So after the quilt had dried (and been lightly fluffed up in the dryer), I used a fabric crayon to color over those spots.  After all this, the quilt turned out quite nicely. 

Mom is very happy with it.

But I hate that quilt.

And my cat. (Not really, but I should.)

And safety pins.

Luckily, 2011 didn't end on that sour sewing note.  I was able to finish a table-topper for my MIL and a little wallhanging for myself.

Happy New Year to you and yours!

Blessings,

Gramma Sheri

Some Occupy My Sewing Room Results

 The red lace bows I machine-embroidered a couple of days ago.  They are earring "jackets".  From Criswell Embroidery. 

4-sided placemats (sorry about the sunstreaks across the photo).  They are MUCH cuter than the photo shows, and I hope the recipients enjoy them (along with the goodies tucked between the folds...).

It has been such a fun week, sewing almost every day with few interruptions.  Wednesday was shopping day with my Mom, and we had SUCH a lovely day!  It was a Christmas gift in itself, and most likely will be the most memorable part of this Christmas.  We tend to forget the gifts we receive, but the time spent with loved ones, we remember! 

The packages have been mailed and now I can concentrate on the two items I need to finish sewing, and Christmas cards, and planning Christmas dinner.  Its all good, though, and worth the effort.

I hope you are enjoying your Christmas preparations also, and will share some of your ideas and traditions with me.

blessings,

gramma sheri 

Non-Post-Itis

Its been a few days since my last post.  I HAVE been doing stuff...just not talkin' about it.  When I'm in "Just Do It" mode my focus is on Task, not Talk.  So, what have I been doing?  Why, Christmas-y stuff, of course!  I'm down to the wire, getting my kids' gifts in the mail and finishing up some old projects. 

Here's a sampling of what i've been up to:

Finished my Countdown to Christmas calendar (by Nancy Halvorsen...started 2 Christmases ago) 

 

 I do like it, very much.

 Almost finished a Sudoku quilt (started 3-4 years ago - still needs the binding)

 

 Aren't the bright colors fun?  The border print has Bingo cards on it and the setting squares are fussy-cut free spaces (from the Bingo cards).

 Finishing the quilting on my Mom's Garden Gate wall-hanging.  Will post pics of the completed quilt...hoping to have it done so I can give it to her for Christmas.

Go ahead - ask me how fun it has been blanket-stitching (in black thread) around hundreds of leaves and skinny iron-work-like gate pieces!   ARRRRRGGGHHHH!!!

Embroidered a bunch of little lace bows that can be worn with earring posts for some festive Christmas earrings.  

Made them in red, green and white.  Will show in another post how they look as earrings.

Christmas shopping tomorrow with my Mom.  Yay! We started this a couple of years ago and both enjoy the time together so much.  We will meet in town and have breakfast and then will shop until we finish up the last of our Christmas lists.  

Mom-in-law isn't up for shopping this year.  At 90, she deserves a break.  She has always loved to shop but it is just too hard for her to get around anymore (and she won't be seen in a wheelchair). I miss having a Christmas shopping day with her. 

I will show the finished items as soon as I get them done.  Once they are wrapped and mailed, THEN I can start on the tutorial for the steering wheel cover that I promised in my Ghastlie Blog Hop post.  Boy, am I running behind!

Have a lovely Wednesday,

Gramma Sheri

p.s.  It has RAINED for TWO DAYS!  Woo hoo!  What a treat for the thirsty Southwest!

IT'S DONE! (or as done as it's gonna get)

The sewing room is finished, stocked, organized (my version of it, anyway) and IN USE!

BEFORE:

 OK, so it doesn't look too bad, but most of my REAL supplies (fabric, thread) were stashed in other rooms.  Plus, the area was carpeted...not such a good idea in a sewing room.

AFTER:

Built-in ironing board on the wall of the pass-thru between great room and laundry room/garage. I have not yet hung the design wall board to the right of the ironing board, but it goes up very soon!

Cabinets contain quilting/sewing/beading books and office supplies. Pegboard with cutting tools, embroidery hoops, bobbins. Printer, Pfaff and spool rack (with storage in it for stabilizer).

Another view. The under-counter cabinet tucked in the corner provides additional support for the counter top and contains all of my rulers and acrylic templates. Laptop is on the wooden TV table, close to the printer.  Yes, there are TWO teddy bears on top of the cabinets and my very own Cabbage Patch doll in the corner between them. :D  My Bernina 830 is hogging her own space on the right.

 FABRIC!  Where I can SEE it!  Woo hoo!  Mr. Wonderful built the shelving for me (and the counter top, and hung the cupboards and installed the in-wall ironing board). The stacked drawers contain notions and tools.  The fabric is arranged by color, except the Christmas, Southwest, Halloween, panels, and kids' prints are in their own stacks.  

Truth in Advertising:  Is this all of my fabric?  Well, no.  I have three tubs (the size of the white one there with the blue latch) of fat quarters all nicely arranged and stored in the guest room closet.  And I have a big cardboard box of scraps that I am in the process of cutting into strips and squares.

Also, there are stacks of books still stored in the guest room (neatly, on the built-in-shelf near the ceiling) that I haven't transferred to the sewing room yet.  See the empty top of the shelving? Well, it won't be for long!

But this is pretty much it.  Done.  It feels SO good!

Big Bertha the Bernina is pretty content, too!

Oh, and remember this?

Well, it now looks like this!

It's a guest room again! 

Whew!  What a process it has been, but totally worth it.   I feel calmer and more focused, and sewing is fun again.  

Many thanks to those who offered helpful advice and words of encouragement.  It kept me plugging along, eatin' away at that 'ol "elephant" one bite at a time!

Next Post: Exposing the L-O-N-G list of UFO's and PPTD's (Projects-Purchased-To-Do) found amidst the reorganizing chaos.

Until Next Time,

Gramma Sheri

I Should Be Grateful, But...

Have you ever started a project and then felt like you're trying to eat an elephant?  Oh my goodness! This sewing room re-do is feeling just like that!

I folded and put all of the fabric away in my new shelves, and wound up with another whole tub of fat-quarter-sized pieces (found amongst the drawers and drawers of fabrics) which I folded and sorted into color families.  The sewing room is looking pretty good...however...

I waded into the guest bedroom where I'd parked all of the contents of the sewing room (pre-redo), and began sorting through things and finding places for what I wanted to keep.  (Remember this picture?)

And then...

In the guest room closet I found another big box of fabric.  And another big drawer full of fabric (still in the armoire in my room).  And sizeable pieces of every type of stabilizer, interfacing, batting and fleece known to man.  And an enormous box of scraps of every size and description.

I SHOULD be grateful for such a bounty of sewing, quilting and beading supplies.  And I am, really.  But just like a kid who has eaten too much candy, I've reached the point of diminishing returns.  Too much stuff.  

So...even more boxes will be filled with items to share with local sewing groups. 

Now, I'm off to take another bite out of that elephant, hoping it hasn't grown another leg.

Gratefully (and somewhat embarrassed),

Gramma Sheri

Sewing Room Re-Do - Part II - Making Progress

Perhaps you recall this post showing the beginning of my sewing room re-do?

Well, the shelving is in and this is what it looks like thus far:

I'm still deciding where I want to store other sewing items, but the machines are in place and the plastic drawers are sorted out.  My goal is to have a place for everything by this coming weekend.  Wish me luck!

Fondly,

Gramma Sheri

11-11-11

Maybe its just me being silly but it seems like there's something special about having a calendar date of 11-11-11.  Sure, we've had special dates every year since the millenium, but none with all the same numbers.  (I know, if you write it as 11/11/2011 then its not all the same numbers...but this is as close as it gets.)

Anyway, I think its pretty neat and so, to observe the once-every-100-years-occurrence, I plan to watch for ways to be a help and a blessing (anonymously, if possible) to my friends, family, coworkers...anyone I encounter during my day.  

We usually go through our days in "automatic" mode, entrenched in our routine ways of thinking, feeling, working, talking and interacting.  I wonder what will happen as I consciously try to think and act more positively and kindly, searching first for the good instead of knee-jerk-reacting to the bad.  I think its worth the effort.

"Finally...whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable,  - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things."  Phil. 4:8

Blessings,

Gramma Sheri

Day 10 Ghastlie Giveaway Winners

Did you see who won the last, Ghastlie day's giveaways? 

Here they are:

Britt-Inger from Mrs. Susan's won the big stash of Ghastlie fabric donated by Jodi from 

Fort Worth Fabric Studio

Congratulations, Britt-Inger, and thank you Jodi!

Denise from Mdm Samm won this sweet Velocity 50 iron from Reliable

Congratulations Denise and thank you, Reliable!

Well, now what do we do?  The hop is over, the dust is settling, and its time to take a big breath...and get ready for Thanksgiving!

What is your favorite part of Thanksgiving day?

Kindly,

Gramma sheri

Ghastlie Giveaway Winner!

The WINNER of my giveaway is...

Sharrieboberry 

Congratulations!

A HUGE thank you for everyone who commented!

And a HUGE thank you for those who chose to follow my blog.!

Hoping we can do this again, next year...

Hugs,

Just...Gramma Sheri

November 4 - Hop Day 10 (Sadly, The End)

Yes, the Time has Come. This is the End.  After today, nothing Ghastlie to see here.  (sigh)

However, you may want to keep tabs on the 54 Ghastlie Sistahs by following them or at least bookmarking their blog sites.  You never know when that Ghastlie Flu may break out again, individually if not enmasse!

(Gramma Sheri here:)

Things are not a grim as the Ghastlie Gentleman above seems to think!  There are still some giveaways to be announced, including MY giveaway on Saturday morning!

The three Day 9 winners will be announced later this morning, and there are still these to win on Day 10!

Jodi from Fort Worth Fabric Studio

Lots of Ghastlie yardage

Velocity 50 iron from Reliable

They have been SO generous

Now, go ahead and celebrate Friday by visiting SIX of my Ghastlie Sistahs listed under the November 4 heading in the left column.

Hop Along, Cassidy! (sadly, that  phrase is funny to fewer and fewer folks...)

November 3 - Hop Day 9

Good eeeevening...

Please follow me to where the body...er...BOOTY...is buried...

Day 8 WINNER of this:

is DUFF from Mrs. Jane Ghastlie's blog

There will be THREE winners today, DAY 9!  Just SEE what you can win!

$51.12 Gift Certificate from Corrie at Quilt Taffy
 LORALYN you won!
Mrs Corrie Ghastlie

A Beam 'n Read, Presencia Thread and 10 ghastlie covered buttons
Won by: CREATOLOGY from Mrs Ghastlie Pickles

4 yards of assorted Ghastlie fabric
Won by Denise:) from Mrs Cheryl GhastliesSo fun to win something, innit?

Please visit my 4 Ghastlie sistahs today (5, if Mrs. Sharon can whip her PC back into shape) for the next-to-the-last-day of this Ghastlie whirlwind.  They are listed under the November 3 heading in the left column.

Thank you for making this fun for all of us!