The pine trees in the backyard look like frosted Christmas cookies -- since it snowed on Wednesday, there hasn't been enough wind to knock off the white stuff.

 

The obligatory view from the office front steps -- notice there isn't much to see -- the weeds got hacked off -- and well ... it's white.   This was Wednesday ....

 

 

So, it's Sunday, the day of rest -- what to do is on my agenda -- my goal for the "post holiday before Monday" weekend was to make all of the piles in my office disappear -- well 2/3rds of them are gone.  That's pretty good -- I was teeming in piles.  A couple of hours and the other 1/3 should be wiped out.  No piles is always a good way to start Monday ...

 

I've managed to piece two crib quilt tops from the wip stacks, the backs are cut and they are ready to quilt.  The 3rd project is chopped up on the cutting table and frankly, I'm not feeling the love.  So, on to plan c or d (I've changed my mind a lot) on this one.

 

I Christmas shopped via the internet yesterday -- it's pretty awful when I shop for gift cards and have them delivered (but, free freight). The creative part of my Christmas will be the gift card holders!  Actually I bought "stuff" also -- it's all boxed up and ready to wrap in the sewing room.

 

So, happy Sunday, .... the laundry and sewing are calling from below .......  

white Friday ....

   yep, no shopping for this Diva -- well, I did go to the grocery store and pick up the roping and wreath for office décor .. good thing I did -- they were running low. 

   it is project weekend here on 3rd street --- I have a list and I'm crossing off the shit as it gets done ....

  so far I've managed to fill the garbage curbies ... both the regular trash and the recycling and I have a pile of boxes to cut up and deliver to public works for recycling. 

  tonight is back to the Bernina -- I finished a crib top yesterday and started playing with some Batiks -- interesting and fun -- hope to finish the batiks tonight and move on to the next wip. 

  should start Dad's baseball quilt shortly -- xmas is not far off.
 

turkey day on daisy lane

   seems like we cook the feast - devour it, wash dishes, eat more and ...


   today was pretty calm -- the cooking was organized, the devouring, well, we ate, the dishes were minimal .... desert was good.

   I've had time for laundry and the sewing machine.  It is time to attack the endless wip / idea pile.  During the cleaning binge, I found fabrics stacked together with patterns and sketches.  I attempted to organize them and pulled out a drawer and went to work this afternoon. 

   Now it is time for more food (/?????)  ..... and more dishes.  


Happy Thanksgiving ....
 

AAA as in Automobile not Alcoholics

   sorry -- bad pun. 
 
so, the idiot in the silver Ford Edge that passed me this morning.  I hope you have AAA for towing service.  You will be in the ditch at some point during your journey.

truly, was it necessary to pass me at 55mph while I was toodling along in 4WD at 35mph and barely keeping my full size 4WD truck on the road. 

seriously -- be smart be safe.


 afternoon editing: so the powers in charge tell me we had 6" of fluffy white snow ... seems like it .. I normally complain about the shoveling -- but Jeremiah, Alyssa and Ron did most of it .... Eddie made a pass with the ATV and elder #1 just finished up the parking lot. 

 unfortunately, this white fluffy crap is going to blow .... let's hope the wind stays down.  and it is not pretty.  nope, no way, no how.

 waiting on clients for late meeting -- not happy about late client meetings before a holiday ... need to have multiple chats on that one ...

Happy Thanksgiving ....



 

the sneezing, wheezing, coughing Diva

  yep, still sick -- good to be me.

  So I functioned a full 12 hours yesterday on 3 hours of sleep.  Needless to say I crashed after the ever sooooo long meeting --- early and hard. 

  News of the week -- someone bought one of my etsy quilts.  odd.  well, odd to me. 

   Another crazy day today ... and tonight and tomorrow and then some time for me.


 

ahhhh choooooo

   I've done pretty well in the illness department in 2014 -- well, last night, this morning ... now ... that streak came to a halt.

   The chills, the low grade fever, the body aches,  the sore throat and the dripping nose.  And the lack of concentration. 

   So, this evening I'm going to bond with a new box of tissue, the tv remote, my favorite quilt and a couple of Advil.  I've probably exceeded the Advil quota for the day ... so two more will just get numb me even more. 

   Dang --- I really wanted to sew!   There's always tomorrow!



 

a Christmas Finish .. (it only took 4 years)

 

ever start something and wonder why -- or better yet wonder if you'll ever get 'er done.  This picture was taken in December of 2011. 

 

It gets better -- its HERE --- Crazy Mom's Figgy Pudding .  I did a little web cruising and found the link.  So since 2009 I've hoarded this pattern.  I've got to work on the hoarding traits.

 

and July it finally got quilted on the long arm -- hmm it matches the rug and the chair

some time between 2011 and July of 2014 it was designated the new Christmas tablecloth .. so it needs to be durable. 

 

 

and since the weather was crappy (snow) on binding day ... here it is folded in the chair -- quilted with variegated thread from Connecting Threads ... back is 90" muslin.  Pale blue/teal polka dot binding ... every quilt needs some dots.

 

done -- next stop -- washing machine ... then

Mr. Harvey

The fog comes

on little cat feet.

It sits looking

over harbor and city

on silent haunches

and then moves on.

 

 thank you Mr. Harvey.  thank you for sharing your journey with thousands of 9th graders over the decades .... 

 

 

 

 

"Miss Marie ... how does your garden grow ... "

 

Very well, thank you!  .... 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

California Girl meets a Minnesota Winter

 

remember this one I blogged about it HERE ....

 

 

I may have waited too long to snap a picture ... the clouds moved in and the deck had been shoveled.  Except the bulge of snow on the deck rail under the green daisy block ..

 

 

Mrs. Gray -- wouldn't stand still for a picture.

California Girl fat quarters chopped into 5 x 20 bricks and stitched back together ...

 

squares, rectangles and strips are my thing.

 

 

and here comes the wind ....

 

remember me ...

 

I'm finally done

 

 

another beautiful sunrise ...

life on Daisy Lane

 

yes, this idiot walked thru the yard during hunting season -- he was one lucky dude ... he lived to tell about it.  picture was taken thru the slats on the bedroom mini blinds ... isn't the window latch and attractive feature -- must get the pins off the clothesline too .... but hey -- the snow plow is mounted on the brown truck ... reality TV needs to come to Daisy Lane ... we are entertaining.

 

 

look-ee, look-ee ... snow  -- and 3 inches more as I type ...

'tis good to be us, eh?

 

sneak peek of a project ... details to follow ... a FINISH.

 

wisdom

today I have none. 
well, maybe

purge and toss -- good therapy.


happy Friday y'all.

 

 

ps.  spending is also good therapy 1/2 done with the xmas shopping .... point and click and get it delivered .... thought a little fabric would be good too !!!!

 

 

 

 

change

  I don't do change well.  especially change of routine.  well some idiot in Michigan decided our software needed a new look.  a big idiot.  did I mention I don't do change well. 

 this is going to be bad.  real bad.

 

and it's freeking cold.  like zero and in 0 as in freeking cold.  evidently the person in charge forgot it was NOVEMBER.  so not only is it dark -- it's COLD.  enough whining.

 

home to coffee and supper (well, food)

 

 

 

sloth (noun)

  So the last 3 nights have been devoted to nothingness.  Sunday night I barely made it past 8:30 -- Monday night I forced myself to make it to 9:30 ... mind you all while do nothing of great importantance.  Lazy is bad.  

  So tonights great accomplishment -- pairing a zagg keyboard with the iPad.  Yes, a 5 minute gig.  Headed off to work on some more Xmas gift ideas .... did my first shopping of the season this morning.  My almost favorite store had 30% off and free shipping over $50.  I did some damage.

  22' on the homebound commute.  I kept reminding myself that 22' felt warm last January.  Time will tell and I can't change it.

  Enough of the sloth -- time to get cracking.  

  We'll see how well this pep talk works.  I do have several sewing projects waiting for completion.  3 to bind ... Auntie's housewarming, the xmas table cloth and a pastel throw ... then it's back to the flea market fancy project.

the Arrival of Winter

   Praise the Lord ... -- the 14 inches of snow fell 100 miles north of us.  the freezing rain and ice ... well, it could have be worse.  the cold, well, the cold.

   Day 2 of the flu for elder #2  -- she's not liking it either.  Almost 20 hours without an eruption -- is a good thing (I know, to much information).   She's hacking and coughing now ....

   Back to the library book - 'tis a good night for reading -- howling wind, comfy slippers and a darn good book -- James Patterson.   Mr. Patterson always delivers ....


Stay warm and safe.

M
 

Crafty Divas

 

yep, lots of stuff to be creative!

 

 

and more stuff and lots of busy crafters ... all women --- at one point there was a shortage of toilet paper .... that got resolved.....

 

13 hours into the process we still looked pretty darn good ... post picture the packing up the crap stuff began ... I'm amazed how much we brought along and I used most of mine ..... even the crochet hook!

 

Now to unpack at home.

 

WINTER STORM WATCH ---- What the hell .... it's only November.

 

 



adventure !! road trip !! crazy crafting divas on the move ....

  yes, it is the opening of deer hunting in Minnesota and those of us who do not hunt ... CRAFT, SHOP, EAT, DRINK and be MERRY!

   I couldn't decide which image is the best description of the Stamping Divas and I ...  We are heading to Arlington MN -- for 15 hours of scrapbooking.  No, no sewing machines at this event ... I hope to be constructing Christmas cards and finishing up some basic scrapbooking projects ...

   Basic is the key phrase -- I chose 15 - 20 favorite pictures and scrapbook them.  I also have a couple of books of my quilts .. and special vacations.   Basic --- translation = pictures on pretty paper .....

   My large tub is packed, my tote bag has the basic necessities (electronics) -- and a small cooler of ice and milk for iced coffee ... priorities. 

   Happy Deer Hunting ... be smart and be safe.

Marie
 

Road / Ditch Tour

 

 

 

Road tour day yesterday ... me, the other 4, the administrator, the engineer, the ditch dude and a driver. 

 

Covered a lot of roads, a couple of bridges, some ditch projects and ..... (drum roll) .... this pumping system.  This expensive (and not functioning properly) pumping system.

 

Amazing how water rules our world -- too much, not enough, too fast and too slow.  Amazing.

 

 

 

 

tbt

 to borrow a bookface idea ...tbt ..

 

Emily and I ... August 1990

29 and no gray hair ....

 

 

 

 

and Emily, the bride and I, the reader at her wedding -- May 2014

 

we've all aged!  

 



Project #3

 

always amazes me how much junk I see in the background.  will be cleaning around the edges tonight.  I generally don't roll the top on the rail .. I float it and the batting over the rolled back and quilt.  Seems to work okay ... I had trouble with this batting -- it was a pre packaged and was wrinkled -- even after I fluffed it in the dryer with a wet towel.

 

a small electrical issue ... need more outlets -- never have enough outlets

 

 

and the quilted top ... the plan called for chopping up the 10/20 rectangles into 10/10 squares then subcut to 1/2 sq triangles and then back together randomly ... I just don't have the patience ... and I hate chopping up pretty mid/large scale prints.   This 16 fat quarters of California Girl ...

 



 

Always love the backs....even flawed ones

 

GO VOTE

 

and as a side note -- I'm going to link up with Crazy Mom's Finish it Up Friday ... because this is as close to done as it's going to be....

 

 

so, project #3

   took much longer than I planned ... it's picture is on my home computer.  Needless to say -- the long-arm has adjusted well to Daisy Lane --

   On Friday night I pulled fabrics from the stash for a project -- (translation, I was looking for something -- got distracted and found something else).   Mulled over the quilt possibilities on Saturday -- (while at the office) -- and started cutting Saturday night ... that extra hour of my day was spent -- sewing!

   By Sunday morning the top was done and pressed -- then came the back -- the pieced back ... whipped my tush (again) ... got to work on making them squarer -- onto the long arm after lunch and sew away ... quilting is done ... .(as is 5 loads of laundry)

   It was a productive couple of days at the office too ---
        The furniture move is almost complete (more furniture ordered).
        The winterizing has begun ...
                Window kits on 1/2 of the windows.
                Weeds pulled -- planters stashed
                Tulips planted (one bag to go)
                Curbies are full of trash
  
  I dumped a bunch of squash on the neighbors and hung out with Tyler & Brayden (they like my ATV) ... we had a cruise -- took a mini tour of the farm and the patch ...

 It was a busy couple of days -- we'll see what the week brings ... 36 hours and the campaign ads will cease -- TYJ.

M
 

Weekend Projects

 

My goal is to get 5, yes 5 wip completed ... I think this counts as 2.  New pillows for something or someone somewhere.

 

Back to sewing.



the best of Halloween

 

twins 1st Halloween

mama posted on facebook

 

(on their quilts -- or one of the two )

 

 

I was bursting with smiles ....

are they not the cutest little guys!!!!