A Very Long Wait at the VA

I took my 3 broken hearing aids to the Veterans Administration today. They have a walk in clinic for hearing aid repair. They open at 8:00. I arrived about 9:15. I brought my pink scarf I am knitting. I sat in the waiting room for 2 1/2 hours. I actually thought my fingers would fall off. After they finally called my name I went to another area and they took away the hearing aids to look at them. I knit more for about another 1/2 hour. I did a whole lot of knitting today. Then instead of sewing tonight I knit more. I would love to finish so I can start a new knitting project. There is just something wonderful about almost being done with a project. The expectation for a new project. The accomplishment of finishing a project. Just love it.

As far as my 3 broken hearing aids, one is never going to work again, one they repaired so I could use. Another hearing aid has to be sent in to be repaired. The good news is I have 2 hearing aids so I can hear better. The bad news is they are 2 different types of hearing aids. I am just glad that I will be able to hear in the next few days because my husband and I are headed to Vegas. It will be nice to take a mini vacation.

I will try to get more done on the Y2K quilt and the witches tomorrow.

More Halloween Embroidery

I have not used my Embroidery/Sewing machine for years but I am in love with it again. Today I made a cute witch block. I made a different witch block yesterday. I found them on Etsy. I thought of making some pot holders or even another Halloween Wallhanging. Not sure what I will do with them but they sew up really quick. I actually used fabric from one of my Moda Halloween charm packs for the witch today. I think I will do all five of the witches since they are so cute.

I quilted the Wallhanging with the tweets. It did not get the stipple quilting. Stipple is harder than it looks on the Youtube videos. I will need to practice that a few times before actually quilting something. I just need to add the binding which I will do this week.

I did a few more blocks on the Y2K quilt. I can't believe I am almost done with the blocks. Once I am done I will need to decide on the layout.

What a week and my Halloween Wall Hanging

I have been just been so busy all week. I had trauma today with my hearing aid. It was broken and I kept putting off getting it fixed. It worked but the case was cracked. Today it finally died. My good set that I am supposed to be using had one of the hearing aids broken. I thought at least I have one good one. Well that one does not work either. I have 1 good hearing aid out of 4. I will go to the Veterans Adminstration early next week to get this taken care of. Until then I won't be hearing very well at all.

I worked on my Y2K quilt. Today I sewed a block together and took another apart. I am slowly getting the quilt completed.

I wanted to do a Halloween Wallhanging. I have decided I need a wall hanging for each season/holiday for the entry way. So today I worked on the Halloween Wallhanging. I used my embroidery machine. I had not used it for way too long. I had to read the instruction manual to use it. Yes it had been that long. The I had to find the software for the embroidery. My software is version 4 and the new version 8 came out. Well my PE Design will not work with my laptop. It does not recognize the security device. The main reason is I do not have the same size hookup and I tried using a external hookup but still not working. Right now I was able to just use the embroidery machine to see the design.

Speaking of the design. I did not like the colors that I used. I should have used a dark gray and mine does not look that dark. So I don't have enough contrast. I have another Halloween Tweet design I purchased from Embroidery LIbrary so I may do a second wall hanging and use different colors. Here are pictures. It is not quilted yet. I am planning on trying the stiple quilting around the Tweets. I thought I should take a picture before I give the quilting on the machine a try.



Here is the embroidery design. Embroidery Libray has a tweet for all seasons and so many more like the first responders and the hairdresser. I think they have a bowling tweet too.

Where Are My Quilt Blocks???

This is a block of the month that I found today. I found this completed block and another block that does not have the applique on it. Where are the other completed blocks. I admit there are only 2 more completed but not sure where they are. I have the patterns so I can easily recreate the blocks. They don't use any special fabric like all matchy, matchy. This block of the month I found in my "craft closet". The craft closet needed to be gone through to put things in the sewing room and toss/donate. I also found a block of the month that I did not remember buying. I found some cute flannel with bowling shirts on it. I guess at some point very many years ago I was going to do something with that fabric. I also found the fabric for a quilt kit I purchased but no pattern. I am sure the pattern will turn up. There are still a few boxes to go through with more quilt things in them.

The Y2k quilt has more than half of the blocks done. 31 to be exact....but we have a problem. Two states are missing. I am going to finish what I have and hope the 2 missing states are in the bag of all the rest of the charms and international quilters' blocks. Keep your fingers crossed.

I have discovered the Disappearing 9 Patch. I was reading blogs last night and found this pattern and tutorial. I may do that next and then the applique quilt. At least I have the problem of trying to decide what to do next. I could spend hours going from blog to blog. Today I found some counted cross stitch blogs. It made me want to pick up counted cross stitch again.

Here are a few pictures of completed y2k blocks. If I ever learn how to post with my pictures where I want them I will be set... Oh that worked.

I love Quilt Shows

Today I went to the San Diego Quilt Show. I just love to look at all the quilts. It just gives me so many ideas. I always want to see the quilts that I have kits for completed and did not see any this time. I did dream about a new embroidery machine for about 15 minutes. Mine is fine except since I purchased mine in 2001 the hoops are twice as wide. Wow!! Of course, what is really sad it I don't really use my embroidery function that often. I do use the machine for quilting and making clothes. I do need to start using it again since I am still unemployed.

I did end up buying some fat quarters and half yard cuts in brown and blue. They were such a pretty shade and I could see a wall hanging. My son said it reminded him of Tiffany Blue. Yes son, and when you get older you can buy your Mom some Tiffany jewelry.

I purchased 3 quilt kits. One is Amy Butler fabric. I love her fabric and it was all packaged up ready to go. I bought a cute Christmas wall hanging kit. I love anything vintage looking and this looks like 50s fabric. I aso purchased a pink quilt kit.

So it was a wonderful day and now it is back to realty. I need to do dishes and think about what to make for dinner.

Pictures of the "new" sewing room

Here is my sewing desk. I bought this at the Salvation Army for $20.00. It is from Ikea. Yes I have the Ikea sewing room. My walls are painted blue. It is quite a change from the old family room that had the brown varnished wood strips. When we tried to remove the wood strips the wall came off too so I painted over the wood strips. There are 2 sewing machines under the desk. I will eventually get another table for the embroidery machine and the featherweight.

Just a few shelves with the Bergsbo open. I just love to look at the yarn. I need to knit faster and not buy anymore for a little while.

This is the Bergsbo from Ikea and yes it is full of YARN!! I am planning on moving the Bergsbo into another place and putting a desk here for my husband. Just disreagard the audio rack and box of trophys. They will all be finding a new home. My husband has promised to get rid of the audio rack

This is the expedit from Ikea. There are still boxes to go through which you can see in the picture. I used to have all this stored in plastic tubs. The boxes on top of the expedit hold some of my quilt kits. Yes there are a bunch of boxes not showing in the picture and I have more quilt kits. I just love quilt kits. My next project is a quilt kit. There are actually 3 shelves that hold more quilt kits on the Expedit. I have apparal fabrics and quilt fabircs. It was fun taking all this out of the tubs and seeing things that I forgot I had.

Well back to working on my Y2K quilt. I have 23 blocks completed and 3 more taken apart and ready to sew.

My Happy Place

I finally have my own sewing room. It has taken a long time to get here. My boys have their own rooms and no one has yet moved out. I am not trying to rush them. So I just usually sewed in the dining room. We never really used our family room. We all hang out in the living room. I decided that the family room would work my sewing/craft area. I painted the walls a pretty blue and bought storage at Ikea. I still have some work to do but I love it. I leave all my things I am working on and just come back when I have time. I left the love seat for seating but now that is going. I can't imagine anyone would want to be in the sewing room but me. Plus when I do hand sewing or knitting I just sit with the family in the Living room. Yes I have a happy place. Of course I still have more of those plastic tubs to go through. I now have about 8 empty ones. Wow that is a lot of fabric and yarn. Pictures to come later after I download them.

The Y2K quilt is progressing. I took apart more blocks and resewed them. I can't tell you how I love this project. My scarf is about half way done and I love the color. I spent time working on it at the DMV as #3 son took his permit test. Now I have to take the young man out driving. My poor nerves. At least I can come home to my happy place!!!

Pictures of the Y2K Charm Quilt in progress. I just love this whole concept. Have I said that before. Where was I in 2000 and missed this? Anyway the pink block is one of my favorite blocks. I just love pink. Could be because I am surrounded by 3 boys and a husband. The second picture is a redone block. The 3rd picture shows the bottom blocking using 1/4 inch seam allowance and on top the original quilters block. Huge difference. The last one is the 38 blocks that were already done and I am slowly taking apart. I love the colors. I would never have thought to use gray and I love that block. I also like the Hawaii block with all white backgrounds using cute fabrics. I can't wait to get this quilt done but the journey is just wonderful.