by Karen on December 31, 2007
in quilts
I have been slowly but steadily working on this quilt top which eventually will be king size. The outer border applique pieces are glue basted in place and ready for me to begin needle turn applique. Another thin border will be put on after that and then one more wide border of which I have no idea yet what it will look like, I will be thinking on that while I am working on the applique. The picture looks a little crooked but it is just the way it was laying on the floor.
by Karen on December 28, 2007
in quilts
Ok – has anyone any experience with this newest gadget for sewing machines that I have heard about: http://www.sewingmachinefeet.com/sewing_machine_feet.html click on the video that is on the page and it will show you how it works. I would be interested to find out if anyone has experience with it and how they like it.
Does anyone have any new gadgets for quilting or sewing that they have heard about, like, reviews ect? Let me know and I will post about it.
by Karen on December 27, 2007
in quilts
Can’t say that paper piecing is one of my favorite quilting/piecing methods! Sometimes to get the right effect you really need to use it though to save time. I have been designing and piecing as I go along on the latest quilt in the works and I must say it is taking more time than I had expected. Of course I have not worked on it every day – but it is the paper piecing part of it that slows me down. I almost wish I had hand pieced this area. I used to only hand piece and I really enjoy it, then I got a new sewing machine and hate to only use it to put the bindings on so have really been trying to use it. But you know I just might decide sometime soon to go back to more (not all) hand piecing! Well post a new updated photo of the quilt in another day or two when I finish the last two pieces for this border and pin baste everything down to be hand appliqued — there will be another border or two after this one – not even close to finish as of yet 
by Karen on December 24, 2007
in family
We are back safely from our trip to Wisconsin. We did cut the trip short by a half day in order to get out of the area before that last winter storm hit right just this weekend. We had planned on leaving our daughters house first thing Sunday morning but after listening to the weather forecast for the whole time we were up there we decided it would be best to leave before the storm hit on Sunday morning. We were in Wisconsin for about 3 days and the whole time it was foggy, very cold one day the other two days were in the mid 30′s. We had a great time and the holidays are always more fun when you are around little kids and the grandchildren supplied us with lots of fun. We decorated a gingerbread house, made cookies, played Old Maid and Go Fish more times than I can count, went shopping, we even got to attend our grandsons second grade Xmas play of which he had a couple lines in and it was nice to be able to do that. We even had a snow ball fight one evening. All in all a good time even if it was cut short by a half day. We made it home safely and I hope everyone who checks in on here has a happy Christmas. Rose in Nebraska I sure hope you didn’t have a bad time with the snow storm, I feel your area might have got hit by it.
View from our daughters back door overlooking our grandson’s school and playground.
by Karen on December 17, 2007
in family
We leave for Wisconsin in the morning to spend an early Xmas with our youngest daughter and her family which includes our two grandchildren. We will be back home Christmas Eve to spend with our other daughter. I have not had a winter experience in Wisconsin since 1972. I have all the necessary cold weather clothes packed and ready to play in the snow with the grandchildren –
by Karen on December 14, 2007
in family
Yesterday afternoon while still in Norfolk we ran out to get something to eat on a break from the hospital — Mike posted this on his site about where we ate and what we saw: http://exit78.com/weblog/
Not an experience I would want to have again! I couldn’t eat until early evening after that — just totally lost my appetite –
by Karen on December 13, 2007
in family
We will be heading home in the morning after being here since Monday evening. My mother in law has stablized but has a heart condition called Congestive Heart Failure so it is not cured, but more of a temporary fix for now. She had a procedure called a heart cath and they inserted a balloon catherter in one of the areas that was blocked. She will need medication and doctor’s care, we think she will be home by Monday.
Rose thank you for your concern and your message.
We should be home sometime on Saturday — just in time to get ready for our trip to Wisconsin to visit our daughter and family that live there. We will be going from weather that has been in the 60-80 range to the low 30′s and 20′s!! what a difference. I need to do laundry when we get home and repack the suitcases with winter clothes and long underwear!
by Karen on December 12, 2007
in family
We are still in Virginia and are pretty sure we will be heading home on Friday. Mike’s mother is somewhat better and will be having a heart cath tomorrow to see what condition her heart is in but outlook is better than what it was she was even up and walking a short distance today and sitting in a chair — great progress!
by Karen on December 11, 2007
in family
We hadn’t planned on traveling again until the 18th of this month when we are driving (without the camper) to Wisconsin for a short “before Xmas visit” to our daughter and family but here we are in Norfolk Virginia as my mother in law is in the hospital. We got in last night and stopped at the hospital for a visit and she looks much better than we expected. We will be over at the hospital again today and hope to be able to chat with a doctor and find out for sure what her condition is and if the heart cath that she thought she was going to be scheduled for today or tomorrow is going to take place, no one seems to know what is going on at the moment. She has several infections and is diabetic also which complicates things somewhat. We will be here for a couple days at least, more if needed.
