Thursday, January 28, 2010

Lantern Quilt for class and Quilt Marking

This is the quilt I will be teaching at Morning Out starting on February 23rd.

Here's a little how-to on QUILT MARKING.

Find something that fits the space.

It is not necessary to use up a whole washout marker on each quilt. A few well placed dots will give you a target to aim for. The pennies you save can go in your Make a Martini jar.

If you plan beforehand you can usually figure out some way to make the design continuous. This will make your quilting go much faster and you can enjoy your martini sooner. A little spritz with PLAIN water makes the blue marks disappear. Do not confuse your martini with water. Bad for you AND the quilt.
The outer border was quilted using circle templates. With definitely (!) no martini assistance.

Sunday, January 24, 2010

Potty update with pics & today's horoscope

Here is the bad plaid wallpaper in the downstairs potty. The plaid only lines up sporadically and all four rolls came from the same lot number.Here is the London Shade and the matching shower curtain in the ensuite.


All three of the following statements are from my horoscope for today. Should I change my name to Sybil?

try not to let any irrational thoughts or worries bother you too much right now.

your mind could be a little hazy at the moment.

try to remember to listen to the wisdom of your own inner voice.

Thursday, January 21, 2010

Wood, Bad Quilt & Batik Quilt

I took some time out from wood chopping (my little hatchet got so hot it was going to melt!) to post pics of Bad Quilt, Bad. It turned out really pretty. As a Longarm Quilter I am a back junkie - I always love the look of the back. This one does not disappoint.I also got this finished up. Lovely batiks with a chain that pops right out. I used the Circle Lord for the motifs on this. It got to be time that I either had to DUST the Christmas decorations or put them away. I opted to put them away and dust them next year. Heh heh. I have the downstairs potty FINISHED. The wallpaper is up but it is Bad wallpaper, BAD. Why did I choose a plaid? Pics in the next post. I also have the upstairs potty FINISHED. The London Shade is hung and looks lovely. I still need to purchase a white-ish shower curtain liner (maybe tomorrow). Pics of this will also be in the next post.

Today's pet peeve: people who promise to do things and don't keep their promise. In spite of being reminded. In spite of causing a little old lady (namely my Mom) some physical discomfort. For a month. Geez - gimme a break. She's 89 and cannot do for herself (or believe me - she would). In cases like this I can only tell myself what goes around comes around. Then I take a deep calming breath and make a martini.

Friday, January 15, 2010

Bad quilt, bad!! And more UFO's.

I lead such an exciting life. Friday night and I'm doing my sales tax remittance. Sheesh. I guess I blew the wad on Wednesday - at guild I won one of the prize draws AND I won the block of the month collection. Oh wait - that means I have another UFO (insert me laughing maniacally). When I came home that night I found my lovely new hand rail installed on the front porch.

Some quilts just don't want to play nice. Here we are with a turned block. The quilt is loaded and half quilted. (can you say aaarrgh!! ?) Yes - I checked this thoroughly before I started and that block was NOT like that. Gremlins.

Pull up a tall chair and pick out the stitching. Stitch it back in by hand.

Ta da - fixed. mutter mutter....

Sunday, January 10, 2010

Chores

I want to get back to work on the potties today, but I have to finish up my chores first.

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

Movie review, mean dog & more UFO's. Geez Louise!

This past Monday we went to see Sherlock Holmes with Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law. DH liked it. Me... not so much. It was very dark and mostly an action flic, with some mystery around black magic thrown in. I get to pick the next movie, thank goodness. It will be light and airy and humorous. With hugs & kisses thrown in for good measure.


Sure, she LOOKS innocent enough. The monster head-butted me this afternoon - I saw stars. She accidently-on-purpose dropped her Binky which she whips around like a cowboy with his pistol. I bent down to grab it and win the game. But somebody (dog body) likes to play rough and went for it at the same time. ooooohhh, ouch.



Here she is hoping a piece of carrot will hop off the counter and into her mouth. Eternal optimist.

I have a sweet customer who loves to make scrap quilts. We got chatting one day and I (kiddingly) said I should send her home with a bag of MY scraps. Hah! She took me up on it. The dark one still needs a border, but good gosh-a-mighty, how nice was that? However - that adds another TWO quilts to my UFO list. aarghhh.

Sunday, January 3, 2010

TWO words for 2010

I completed a worksheet with all the horrible questions (the soul searching kind, such as In what ways do you NOT embody this word?) that helped me choose... REALLY choose my words.

SPARK - it makes me think innovation, clean, clear, light, fun, warmth.

FOCUS - this is word # 2. It makes me think follow-through, completion, resolution, perseverance.

How am I doing so far? Well, we rang in the New Year with a clean kitchen floor and clean bathrooms. I completed new shower curtain number one. Today I will FOCUS and complete the London Shade to match. I will light a SPARK under my butt to accomplish that.

Yeah - we'll see how this goes, eh?

Friday, January 1, 2010

A borrowed post about the word SPARK

As I've mentioned, SPARK is a word I will focus on in 2010. As I've also mentioned, Christine Kane is my new favorite blogger. Although she's not new at blogging she is new to me. Here we are on New Year's Day and I found this post on her blog from a year and a half ago. I enjoyed it. You may too.

22 Sparkly Ways to Shine your Inner Bling

July 2nd, 2008 by Christine Kane

blingdog3.jpgSometimes you want lots o’ bling. Sometimes a little bit goes a long way.

You never need bling, though.

Trust me on this.

I’ve performed over 1500 shows in my career. And I’ve learned that your shine has very little to do with what’s on the outside and everything to do with what’s on the inside.

No matter what they say on What Not to Wear, authentic bling comes from deep within. It comes from a life of purpose, happiness, peace, action, and stillness.

Here are 22 ways to get that shine, sparkle, and bling from the inside out:

1 – Start everything with intention

Inner bling comes from knowing why you do what you do and who you want to be. Intention is a simple way of getting centered before you begin any activity or show up for any event or write any email or blog. Intention sets your energy. Your energy creates your outcomes.

2 – Know your motivations

Why do you do what you do? What’s motivating you?

When you know your motivations, you get clear on how to clean up your core. For instance, early in my music career, I realized that I often acted out of desperation. (Fear of not getting/being enough.) When I saw this, I began to shift away from these choices. My actions got “cleaner.” And the results were more powerful. Sometimes I couldn’t shift. I was stuck. But it helped to recognize the motivation and be kind to myself once I realized that I wanted to come from a clearer place.

3 – Forgive yourself your fears

We all have them. We’ve all gone through them. Be kind to yourself about your fears. Then, take action anyway.

4 – Eat more greens

Physical health is the best bling of all. Take time to learn how to create healthy meals of mostly vegetables and fruits. Eliminate processed foods as much as possible.

5 – Make a “Here’s What I Love” list

Fun is imperative for shiny bling. The problem is that we often don’t know what we love to do. It’s typical to think of the usual suspects: going to the movies, getting a pedicure, or going to the beach. But what do you love? Is it ping-pong, NASCAR, gardening? Make your own list so you can always refer to it and add to it.

6 – Do at least 1 item on your “Here’s what I love” list each week.

7 – Take risks

Taking risks gets easier once you take them. Too many people make risk-taking an event. They walk across burning coals, or bungee jump. For me, the biggest risks – the ones that teach me the most – are the quiet daily risks I take. From writing songs, to enrolling in an on-line course, to trying a new blog idea. These risks build that muscle inside of me slowly.

Walking across hot coals is fine. But it’s a lot like deciding to get in shape, and then lifting 100 pounds all at once. It’s the constant practice of something that teaches you how to do it and how to be bling-y all over.

8 – Laugh more

The more you laugh, the more bling you get. Make time for friends who make you laugh.

9 – Get a dog

Or a cat. Pets teach you how to be in your heart space. They teach unconditional love. I found my dog just after I committed to healing depression once and for all. She has been one of my greatest healers.

10 – Sleep when you’re tired

This might seem like a no-brainer. But I’ve worked with hundreds of people at my retreats and in my e-Seminars on this. So many of them will keep going and going, trying to function when they’re exhausted. They usually end up eating junk food or watching hours of television, rather than giving their body what it really needs – rest.

11 – Get moving

Regular work-outs are one of the best ways to get bling.

According to one study, when you do a 30-minute cardio work-out: “2 – 3 pounds are lost from sweat, 70% of muscle fibers are working (up from 5 – 50% at rest); increased blood flow to brain heightens alertness; endorphin rush reduces anxiety and boosts moods.” Lifting weights keeps me in an elevated and peaceful mood all day.

12 – Say no unless it’s an absolute and pure YES

I get many emails from people who have been to one of my retreats or participated in the e-Seminar. They thank me for giving them permission to begin saying no to everything that’s not an absolute yes in their schedule or in their environment. I learned it from Cheryl Richardson. I get to pass it on now that I’ve been practicing for many years.

13 - Create a Vision Board

14 – Break up with your television

Or at least, just turn off the cable. TV is an energy suck. It will dull your bling.

15 – Clean up your physical space

16 – Stand naked in front of the mirror every morning and say, “Damn, I love myself!”

Hey. Don’t knock it til you try it.

17 – Watch your Language

18 – Revel in your imperfections

I’m not exaggerating when I tell you that my friend Joy hangs up on me almost every single time she calls me. She simply can’t do technology. She’s a disaster on the computer. And last week, she snipped the chord to her iPod headphones with her gardening shears. The best thing, though, is to hear her laugh at herself each time some new mini-disaster happens. She revels in her own imperfections. And she is definitely bling-y.

We all have our areas of imperfections. Forgive yourself, and keep on doing it. Anything worth doing is worth doing. You’ll get the hang of it.

19 – Be totally present to the one you’re with

Your attention is gold sparkly rhinestone bling. Your attention is incredibly powerful. It is a gift to you and to anyone who spends time with you. Be present – fully present – to anyone you spend your time with.

20 – Read for fun

When you’ve got a good book to read at the end of the day, you always have something to look forward to no matter what happens.

21 – Go on retreat

My friend Joy does a silent retreat at least three times a year. She swears that it’s the secret to her blingy-ness. I believe that any kind of intentional retreat can do the trick. Silent retreats. Yoga retreats. Meditation retreats. Or even Great Big Dreams Retreats!

22 – Decide to be bling-y

Sometimes, it just comes down to making the choice to shine no matter what.