Technology...

I have a love/hate relationship with technology. Showing my age I can say, I remember when the computers filled a room, but didn't have any disk space or very much memory. I remember life without Microsoft! I remember when sewing machines had just straight stitches. I barely remember life without television and definitely remember when t.v. was black and white only. Wow, have we come a long way in a short time. Or have we....

Sometimes I miss writing a letter and waiting weeks for a response from a pen pal. I loved receiving a handwritten letter, but I do like the quick response that I get from e-mail. I also love Skype and the way I can see the person who I am talking to no matter where in the world each of us are at the time. And now with the new cell phones, I-pad or I-pod touch we have face time.

I learned to sew on a Singer Featherweight sewing machine when I was twelve. My Mom taught me and I must say, she had the patience of a saint. I continued sewing on that machine and when I married and moved out my Mom gave me the machine. I don't use it often, but I do keep it serviced. I prefer to use my Juki for patchwork and my Pfaff for embroidery. Come to think of it, I also used to embroider by hand and not machine. Those were the days! Well, I still do embroidery by hand but not as much as I used to.

I created all of my own clothes while attending high school and made most of my daughters clothes when they were young. Now I quilt because it is more fun. I love being part of the quilting world. Quilters are the best. Talking about quilting, I guess I better get back to my quilt top because it isn't going sew itself.

Until next time,
may God Bless you and keep you safe

Where did the time go?

It is Tuesday already and I haven't sewn since last Wednesday. I have no excuse, I wish I could say we were gone, but we weren't.

I did make my goal of getting all of the blocks completed for the quilt that I am working on, but I only got one column sewn together. I am working on getting the rest of the columns and rows sewn so I can finish the boarders and take the top home with me to be quilted. I really want to finish it this year so I can send it to my son by Christmas.

I have been reading and watching the horrible news from Japan. It seems with technology the world gets smaller and foreign lands seem so much closer than they did before social networks, u-tube and other types of media. The horror of the earthquake is so real because of technology. I have friends on Face Book that I have never met, but feel as though I know them because we have like interest and converse the same way I used to with pen-pals in my youth. My prayers are with everyone that has been effected by the tragedy.

Until next time
may God Bless you and keep you safe

A visit from the breakfast club and International Women's Day

I had a visit from the breakfast club this morning when I opened my door at 6AM. These 3 cats belong to the neighborhood and many of us feed them when they show up at our doors. You can see that none of the cats are under fed. As you can see from the date stamp my camera is still on central time which is my home time. It really was this morning and not yesterday that the picture was taken. I always forget to change it until I see the wrong date on a photo but by then it is too late.

In case you didn't know, yesterday was International Women's Day and here in Romania it is well celebrated. The women in my town of Cernavoda take over the restaurants and party together and the men know better than to interfere. It does marks the contributions of women to the world. If you want to know more about this day follow this link http://www.internationalwomensday.com/ it has a bunch of information. I am a firm believer in sisterhood and the power of women to make a difference when we band together. It makes no difference where you were born or how you were raised if you are a woman you have a shared commonality with other women of the world.

Today I start to sew the rows and columns together for the quilt that I am working on. I have a good idea for the borders but will have to see what the quilt tells me when I am finished sewing the blocks together. I am thrilled to have all of the blocks completed as the mock friendship star had many pieces, but I am satisfied with the way they came together. I only hope no one looks real close because not all of the corners match. I love each step to making a quilt and get more excited as each step is completed. As I see it I am starting step 4 sewing the rows and columns together.

until next time
God bless you and keep you safe

SCORE!

Sorry if I seem too excited but I just got back from the market with some bacon! Well, it isn't really the same as the bacon we get it the States, but it is close. It isn't as cured or salty and it is extremely thin cut. I love bacon and egg sandwiches or BLT's when I can get lettuce, but getting lettuce is very difficult also. I am so spoiled and I didn't even know it. I found out how spoiled I am by living in Romania for the last 3 years. I plan my menu for the week but I may not be able to get all of the ingredients so I have learned to be flexible. There are so good things here that we don't have or command a higher price in the States. Brown eggs are the only eggs you can buy here and at home, if you can get them, are a much higher price than the white ones. Virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar are very inexpensive here but command a higher price at home.

Well, I'm off to cook my bacon. There wasn't any lettuce so I guess it will be bacon and egg sandwich for lunch.

until next time
God Bless you

Did you notice?

Did you notice my new button on the side? It is my declaration that I am a very slow quilter. I love the process and the stitching of quilt tops. It does take me a long time to finish a top. I have a very large pile of quilt tops to sandwich and quilt. I have to make the backs for most of them so maybe instead of piecing I should just buy yardage for the backs. That would be the fastest way to get them sent off to the long arm quilter. I do have some that are small enough to quilt myself and I plan on hand quilting several just for the fun of it. I should have finished them long ago!

I am still working on the blocks for my current project and looking longingly at the table runner kit that is still in the package. I really want to start a new project but I won't until I get the top finished for my current project. I have finished 12 more blocks since my last posting and hope to finish the top in the next 2 weeks or sooner if I can manage.

I guess it is too late to officially join Judy's UFO challenge since since it is already March, but I plan on doing it unofficially. I will watch for next year around December and join then if she hosts it again. I really need something to keep me on track to finishing my UFO's but I need to make a list of them. I don't have an exact count so I will add counting and listing UFO's to the long list of things I need to accomplish when I am home for a week in April.

Until next time
may God Bless you and keep you safe

Snow again

It snowed again but it was just a dusting. This picture is what I see from my bedroom window. The trash can used to be under that staircase, but the neighbors built an enclosed storage there so now the can sits right by the stairs going down to the lower sidewalk and street.

I didn't sew on the weekend but plan on getting the last of the blocks done this week for the quilt that I have been working on. I have 25 blocks to finish so if I complete 5 a day, I should have enough to start sewing the top together next week. Then I have to decide what to do for the boarders. Did I mention in an earlier post that I must be the world slowest quilter? It seems that it takes me so long to finish a quilt, but then I really enjoy the process and feel a real sense of accomplishment when I put that last stitch on the binding. I usually sew my label into the binding on 2 sides so it is really secure.

My next challenge will be to count the number of pieced tops that I have at home and create the backs so I can finish them. That will have to wait until April when we get home. I also should count the number of kits and UFO's but I'm afraid to do that. I know I have many, many, many UFO's and PIG's. Did I mention that I have a real abundance of kits and UFO's? I have never formally joined a UFO challenge but maybe I should just to stay on top of them.

I did not do all the shopping for my stash and kits. I am one of the lucky ones that has a husband that loves to shop. He did a good portion of the buying. He also designs some of my quilts and has a much better sense of color than I do. I have learned to trust him when he says 'put that piece of this fabric in that quilt, you'll love it'. It always makes the quilt 'POP' but it was never a color that I would have chosen!

Well, back to the sewing machine
until next time
God Bless