Still Playing Catch Up

I'm not sure I'll ever get there, but at least I'm trying! Thought I'd share some more of my week in Paducah and its surrounding area. Hard to believe that I was still in Kentucky just one week ago,even if I was getting ready to pack up and drive home to reality!

Kentucky Lake (where we rented a beautiful house) was so tranquil. The below photo shows the scene from the floor to ceiling doors that graced my bedroom. Since offspring #3 was coming to join me and the gang for two days, I was given the master suite. I think there was a fear we'd be talking etc. well into the night- and we of course did!




Here is a shot of the back of the house and it's upper deck:

Most of the house had those large doors overlooking one part of the lake or another. We shared our space with a lovely pair of geese who swam by very early each morning honking at each other like the best of married couples. They had nothing on the fishermen who sat patiently waiting for the trout to bite. We could see the ripples all over the lake - left behind by jumping fish. Best yet we were visited daily by a great Heron who loved to sit and survey the water from the boat launch at the end of our pathway to the lake.

This next photo was taken on Friday night (or was it Saturday?) in Downtown Paducah. It was prom night and this was just one of the carriages taking its turn around the area. I snapped his picture as we all sat outside the Wharf waiting for our table for dinner. Our meal was scrumptious to say the least!

Makes me kind of wish I was still enjoying my mini-vacation! but like Cinderella, the ball has to come to an end. Luckily, this wasn't too bad a week! But things will be getting hectic the next two weeks as we prepare for shop hop.

I've managed to download all 206 photos to my external hard drive. A walk down memory lane will be enjoyable. Then once they are burned to CD I can clear out the digital camera and take some photos of the purchases I made! Oh I was a bad girl...but it was sooo good!

Stay tuned.......

Stop the World I Want To Get Off

and stop the world I did! One week ago yesterday I packed up the car, met a group of like minded friends and headed off for Kentucky- Paducah to be exact. What a wonderful week. We rented a house in the Kentucky Lake area and it was our own patch of heaven on earth. The quilt show was amazing and I spent way too much at the vendors, but when they put Reproduction Quilts, Bonnie Blue Quilts and Primitive Gatherings in front of my wallet- it was hard "not to"!
I went with a plan for the most part...I had a Civil War pattern from Reproduction Quilts I wanted to add fabrics to. Bonnie Blue had a kit of My Old Kentucky Home--I've wanted to make that quilt since the day I first saw the pattern. Those that know me well, know I don't really "do blues", so a kit was just the perfect way to go. I also bought a pattern to use the pink and brown fat quarters I got at Hancock's. Lisa B. of Primitive Gatherings designs just too splendidly, and I walked away happy but very broke! Her new book, Primitive Christmas is to die for; she and Carol both signed it for me (and every one else in our little group), and Nick, Lisa's husband added his "go Yankees" to the Old St. Nick page...not a reference to our state of origin, but to the fact that he too is a BIG Yankee fan (yes of the baseball kind).
It was a wonderful week, and coming back to reality will be hard. The suitcase is unpacked, the laundry is done, and I am finding places to put the new acquisitions. I still need to download the camera!
I got the world to stop, I got off in my own personal Oz, and boy oh boy---I am a happy girl right now!

How Does Life Get Away From Us So Fast??

Seems I went to bed one night in February and woke up in mid-April. I almost feel like Rip Van Winkle! Now in my defense I did come down with the horrid "crud" that seems to have afflicted half the country- or so it seemed. Fever, chills, cough, you name it I suffered from it. Thank goodness that is all behind me now. I seemed to have lost an entire month of my life (something I can ill afford to do) and have spent the past few weeks playing catch up.


So my catch up is slowing being done and I feel as if I've actually accomplished some things that needed to be done. One was to (almost) finish some long over due blocks I've been swapping with 3 other girls who have the same love of reproduction fabrics as I do. I was so way behind it wasn't even funny. But I'm slowly finishing and would show some photos, however since I don't want to give away the element of surprised I think I'll just have to wait a bit! I know Dawn (http://dquilts.blogspot.com/) sometimes checks in ,and I wouldn't want her to see what I'm working on *smile*.



I have a few irons in the fire at work as well. In one short month we will begin a local shop hop. Four days of hysteria and merriment ! I have two small quilts for kitting just about done, and will kit up more of the Little Dresses I showed in an earlier posting. It has been a big hit at the shop and I'm on my third kitting already...not that I let it go to my head or anything!



Then there is the Paducah trip. Next Monday I'll be on the road to Kentucky! This will be my second year attending the AQS show, and this time around I'm traveling with friends from our Quilter's Circle. I'm also very excited that child #3 is getting to join us for a couple of days. She will leave Lexington after work Tuesday and drive to the house we have rented in the Kentucky Lakes area . I'm looking forward to that since we haven't seen each other since Christmas. The two days will go all too quickly.



So there you have it.... a very quick catch-up from here. Today is my day off (love those long weekends!) and I have some sewing to do. Personal sewing that is....I made myself a promise a long time ago that shop sewing is only done on the evenings of work days. May not be lengthy sewing time, but the samples do eventually get done. On my days off (and that includes the weekends) I sew for pleasure. Right now I'm eagerly waiting on the second clue to Bonnie Hunter's Orange Crush Mystery. My 150 4-patches are done and waiting, and I'm steadily catching up on Mystery#1 (Carolina Crossroads) as well. Lots of catch up to do when you lose an entire month!! Oh well, could have been worse!

Next time....photos....I promise!

Is It Spring Yet??

I know, I know, it is still February- be it the end of February - but I am so tired of cold, ice and snow. Yesterday we got the latest round of snowy weather. Bad news was the roads were horrid. Good news was I got to close the shop just after 3pm. The ride home was white knuckle- with very poor visibility, but I got there and am more than happy that today is a day off for me.
The back yard doesn't look too bad from this angle, and if I was a younger, more adventurous person I'd be out there making snow-people. It is perfect white stuff for that. That wet, heavy, gloppy snow-person making snow. I'll pass and spend the day sewing and getting ahead on some shop sample ideas.
This is the little ditty I finished Monday night. All quilted and bound and happily taking up residence in the shop with the other springy fabrics. I will be holding a class to make this cutie come March. It is all done in raw-edge applique. Simple, primitive- child-like. I do love it.

Please excuse the less than stellar photos! I do think you get the idea, however! The pattern is called Playing Dress Up and is by one of my favorite designers: Renee Plains. Below are dresses one and three:

these are two and four:

and again, another less than stellar photo, but Hoffman has caught the charm square fever. But look at how they are packaged:

each plastic tube has 40 7" by 7" squares of Bali watercolor batiks! I couldn't resist and intend to make a version of a circle quilt I just love. Don't hold your breath waiting for photos, but I hope to get to it soon (like sometime in 2008!). I still have some reproduction blocks to finish first- they are long overdue! And then there is the group that is currently making blocks from The Civil War Diary Quilt and Civil War Love Letters. I am trying very hard to resist....but I've had the books for some time and have been itching to make some. Focus! I need to focus!!

I guess snowy, blustery days are good for something! Now back to playing with fabrics for a baby quilt. We don't have anything currently at the shop and Anne Sutton of Bunny Hill Designs has a sweet free pattern on her site. I'm trying to adapt it! We did get one color of the adorable lamb fabric into the shop. We'll see where I end up with it. Maybe another photo to look forward to.

Too Old to Blog??

this bit of musing ( from another blogger) appeared on first Born's tumbler :

"Am I the only person who finds it really awkward when older people have personal blogs?I feel as if anyone over the age of 40 should have better, more real-world things to do. Like, throw dinner parties. Or, have kids. And … um … even … garden?I don’t know. I’m sure I’m being far too judgmental here, but the truth is, it makes me feel really odd to read their musings, especially if they’re particularly casual and/or ungrammatical and/or confused.It’s like, you’re 50. Shouldn’t you have shit figured out by now? I would NOT be amused if my Dad or Mom were online being like “I had to wonder, why ____ fill in blank with random perplexed thought here ____”Apparently, I am too old to blog. She’s probably right. Guess I stopped being interesting two years ago, when I turned 50. Y’all can stop following me now. [bows gray head and hobbles off towards bingo hall]"

To this, first born muses in reply...

" I think my “avid quilter,” “middle-aged blogger” mum will find this commentary quite amusing! "

Bravo, first born, bravo. Your middle-aged, blogging mum, who is well over the age of 50 and who has actually figured life out- or so it seems- concurs- amusing, totally amusing indeed!

I'm glad you seem to think so as well, since I have no intention of giving up all my mindless chatter in the foreseeable future. So be ready for more casual, ungrammatical (and badly spelled), confused blogging! There is, after all, a writer of sorts hidden inside that keeps trying to get out. So why not!

Now to return to our regularly scheduled programing:

I've been playing in the sewing room. Decided that since I didn't get around to cataloging and printing out more family recipes to add to new DIL's book, I'd do the next best thing and make an apron for her (last week was her birthday and middle child, the hubby, threw a surprise gathering of family and friends that turned out to be a real surprise to the body girl! ). I found some perfectly perfect fabric that I thought would be fun, and whipped up a little goody Saturday am to bring with the other goodies that night. It was a big hit!

Other than that- I have no photos of the latest projects. If I get the blocks up on the design wall, I will do just that. I was on a roll and sewed my fingers to the bone over the weekend. It was my gift to myself. If only my brain was working properly! After completing the 24" center block and one of four 12" blocks, I realized I totally misinterpreted the gray scale copy of the layout. I should not have made all the pieces that make up the star completely scrappy! Now this wouldn't have been such a big deal if I had used yardage, but since it is a fat quarter quilt, I had pre-cut all I had - there "just ain't no more"! Drats! So out came the trusty seam ripper and away we went to remedy the situation. I fear I'll lose some of my perfect points (but then I have often been accused of being "pointless" so what the heck!), but the top will be scrappy enough to hide some of these flaws! I'm loving what is coming off the sewing machine, so I'll live with it.
I've also decided to work on the Circuit Rider's Quilt - this year's offering in the Kansas City Star. It is simple applique- one of those hour or two blocks that will fill in some down time each month- that is IF there is downtime. I'll try hard to create some. Perhaps while watching some guilty pleasure TV- Top Chef begins again in a couple of weeks, and of course there is the height of guilty pleasure-- American Idol. There goes the phone bill. Youngest and I have lots to laugh about- oops,I mean comment on- usually during a commercial, and burn up the phone lines between New York and Kentucky.
So there we have it. Today's middle-aged random-ness. Now on to read some of my favorite blogs to see what other "middle-aged" ,"avid- quilting" Internet buddies are up to.

Movies

There hasn't been much sewing going on at 'ole homestead (as hinted at in my last post)these past few nights, but there has been movie watching. Thanks to Netflix I got to see Ratatouille Thursday evening.



First born had highly recommended it, and after the "use your brain to think", somewhat somber films of last month I thought (and rightly so) I needed some lighter fare. I am so in love with this little film!! Why, who couldn't fall in love with Remy, the little (rat) chef extraordinaire?? Delightful, simply delightful. If you haven't already seen it (and even if you have) it is a must. Pop up some popping corn, curl up and simply enjoy.

That experience was followed up last night by the latest film version of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, with Johnny Depp as Willy Wonka.

I hate to admit it, but I've had a thing for Johnny Depp in these odd roles since Edward Scissorhands.
Youngest Child found that movie disturbing, but i happened to have loved it. Still do. Is it the nurturing mother in me that wants to save and protect such a sad creature?? I'm not sure. But I can admit that I found Willy Wonka a bit more distrubing to me that Edward would ever be. Now what is with that?? But I did like this version- not the lighthearted romp of the original in its bubble gum colors and sappy tunes. Last night's umpa lumpa's were almost nightmare invoking, and there was something behind Willy Wonka's eyes that hinted of total madness, but the movie worked and worked well. I loved Charley, and those grandparents! Strange old weathered folks tucked neatly into bed- all four of them- like bookends- that was a bit weird, but I really enjoyed this (to me) darker version of the film. Actually, I feel a need to own it. I could pull it out when I am in one of those moods...get a fix of strange Willy or poor, sad Edward....oh! or how about The Nightmare Before Christmas! That is another one that I feel compelled to watch now and again. Is it the Psych major in me, or is it just something just "this side" of normal?? Not for me to contemplate now...reality beckons. On the plan for tonight is Notes From a Scandal. Popcorn anyone??

Blogger Love??

I'm a blogger...well to be more exact, I'm a middle aged blogger. I blog about my quilts, I blog about a book or a movie . I blog about my family (probably much to my childern's chargrin). So when I picked up the Page Six magazine - a weekly supplement to one of the NY papers my husband buys daily- my interest was peeked by the front page come on. DANGER MOUSE-
The perils of falling in love with a blogger. Hummmm....Yes, there it was on page 28 -the City Life article- The Dangers of Blogger Love. Hummmmm....again my interest was peeked!
Needless to say, the article brought about an entire range of middle aged emotions...first the twenty five year old naivite was charming...such a sweet thing. Boy and girl work for same media blog. They flirt- not publically, but via IM . You can hide behind your computer and let things play out, even when you work desks away from the object of your desire! Flirting becomes dating- secretely of course, they work for the same employer after all. This is where the twenty five year old naivite turns into twenty five year old angst. Girl blogger starts telling others about their relationship- the boss, co-workers (shocking!). Now angst turns into horror...she is blogging about the game they call dating! Poor boy blogger now decides there were omens he wasn't "safe". He is furious that his Object of Desire isn't as private as h3 about all this youthful desire and game playing. Come now! What did you expect!! Boy gets cold feet and tells Object of Desire he isn't ready for a serious relationship.
But it gets better- poor boy goes on to lament (and I'll quote):
"the fact that we had made a career of throwing stones at glass houses and then constructed a love shack for ourselves was unsettling." Seems Object started a (not so) secret blog about their relationship and aired her heart and soul (whatever it was feeling at the moment) in true blogger fashion. Oh the horrors! By the time I read that they "broke up" via IM I was no longer stiffling my laughter. Love in the new millinium...still full of high points and even lower points. I remember angst...it just wasn't aired so delightfully for all the world to see! I have to admit I loved the ending sentence. Having to confront the now former Object of Desire with his disappointment with said Object's "zeal in airing her antipathy" towards him via her blog, poor young boy blogger is told quite simply...:You should have known better. After all, I'm a blogger!"

To all this I answer, thank god I'm now a middle aged blogger who just feels the need to (only)share thoughts about my fabric, family and very boring life! Wonder if I should actually go read the big debate (page 14- the week's really serious issues) about whether or not babies should be banned from bars! Yes!! You read that right...seems "hipster"parents in a section of Brooklyn were thrown into a tizzy last week when a bar/music venue decided to ban toddlers and strollers.
Gotta love this generation! My thought?? Let's just bring back Love Peace and Rock and Roll.....I am,after all, a child of the 60's! Maybe I'll skip this week's big issue and just go read the article on the granddaughter (a beautiful one at that) of Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall. Now there is one beautiful young girl! She has her grandmother's beauty- that is for sure.
Then it is on to the usual boring existance for this middle-aged blogger- laundry, what to have for dinner, and will I get to play in the sewing room at all today??