National Sewing Month

In 1982 President Ronald Reagan proclaimed September National Sewing Month., in recognition of the importance of home sewing to the nation.  I had no idea that President Reagan was the one who seat aside a special month for those of who enjoy sewing.   To be honest I thought it was something that JoAnn's or another fabric store had made up to get us to  buy more fabric, it is nice to know that it is a real month.  The theme for this year, is Accessorize your Life.  When I saw that I started thinking about all of the ways we  accessorize our lives by sewing.  There are the physical items that  we have made to accessorize our homes and ourselves, however; sewing can also accessorize our lives in ways that you can't see. My life has been made much richer by the friends I have  who share the sewing bug with me.  Sewing has also given me a special connection to my mother, who taught me how to sew when I was about 6 years old. I can't image a better way to spend a day that sitting down with friends who share the same passion for sewing that I do.  Thanks to all of my sewing buddies for accessorizing my life. This includes my buddies out there in blog land, even though we have never met we share a special connection because of our shared love of sewing and fabrics.  Happy National Sewing Month.

Fall Cleaning

On Saturday morning DH and I headed up to our cabin in North Georgia and I was amazed to find a few of the leaves were actually starting to change colors.  Does this mean that Fall is on the way.  This has been one of the hottest summers in Atlanta.  We have had over 60 days of over 90 degree temperatures.  I usually don't mind hot weather, but this year has even been a little much for me.  I even noticed that several of the oak trees are starting to drop their acorns.  I am so ready for fall.

Most people do spring cleaning, I think I do fall cleaning if I do cleaning at all.  For the past few weeks I have been trying to get my sewing space back in shape.  It seems like I have to do that every few weeks.  Well, this year I am really cleaning, of course that might have something to do with the fact that I realized that I have more fabric than I can ever possibly use. I also have fabric that I purchased thinking, WOW that is great fabric and now I look at it and wonder why, why did I ever buy that.  One kit that I found is for a batik quilt called Titling Mountains.  I purchased this from the Great American Quilt Factory several years ago, paid really good money for it and now, have absolutely no desire to make it.  I am definitely  over my batik phase.  The fabric is great and the colors are wonderful if you like green and purple.  I paid $111.00 for it.  Anyone out there in blog land like to take it off of my hands.  It is everything except the backing.  I would like to get at least 70.00 for it.  Today when it took it out of the plastic bag to take the photo was the first time it had been touched.  Let me know if you are interested.  I am  almost afraid to see what other treasures I have lurking in the sewing room.

July Star Crazy

This week I have been trying to get caught up on some of my BOM's.  One that I really didn't want to get behind on is the Star Crazy BOM.  I  just finished the July blocks.  I hope to complete August before the September blocks come out next week.  I really do like the way the blocks are turning out.  I am getting a lot of paper piecing practice. This is the first quilt I have done that has this much paper piecing in it. 

Weekend sewing

Last weekend was Thimbles weekend, I really thought about  not going, it had been a long week at school, but I really wanted to see everyone.  I was really glad that I went, Becky is really enjoying her retirement, she had been sewing all day and was coming back on Saturday.  Kristie showed up for a while, since she is still unpacking she only came by to visit, (she hasn't unpacked her sewing room yet.).  There were some great show and tells, Sandra is just phenomenal, she really knocks out quilts.  The one below is one she had just finishesd  I loved the red, white and blue.

Karen is another one that really can knock them out.  I love what she did with Pat's scrappy nine patch.  It looks great made out of "true scraps."  I still have my kit from that pattern to get made, on well, someday.

Karmen out did herself with this miniature, hand pieced double wedding ring. 

It is amazing.  I have always admired people who do miniatures.  I just don't have the patience for it. 

Don't let one of these get you!!!

Friday night we had a really bad storm, that resulted in my butterfly bush becoming uprooted.  On Saturday when going out to clean it up, I accidentally brushed against one of my outside potted plants.  I knew immediately that something had gotten me.  I went back and looked under the leaf and found several of these little creatures.  At the time I had no idea what it was, I just knew that my wrist was killing me where it had stung or bit or whatever it did.  I dug through the medicine cabinet and found something that we normally put on wasp or bee stings, it made a lot of difference.  Later I looked online and discovered that it is a saddleback caterpillar, the most venomous of caterpillars.  Luckily I don't think it got me that bad, I had none of the side effects of a sting.  It can cause nausea, rash, and headaches.  Other than a burning sensation where it stung me, I was good to go.  Stay away from them!!

New Book

I can't seem to get much sewing done this week, but  have managed to get some reading in.  I saw this author on the Today Show this summer and thought the book looked interesting.  I requested a copy from the local library and picked it up last week.  It was my first book by this author and I really enjoyed it.  At the time I started it, I didn't realize that it was the 10th book with Gabriel Allon as the main character.  Luckily it is one of those books that you didn't necessarily have to read the others for it to make sense, now I  will have to go back  and read some of the other books in the series.  In this book a new painting by Rembrandt has not only been discovered but stolen from the man who is restoring it.  Allon is pulled into the chase for the missing paining by an old friend.  The action travels through Europe to an exciting conclusion.  If you are looking for a good mystery I would highly recommend it. 

Finally Sewing

After going back to work last week, I was looking forward to a relaxing weekend.  Of course this was after I got up at 7:00 on Saturday and started cleaning house.  It was overdue for some cleaning, fortunately it wasn't too bad and I was able to finish what needed to be done by lunch time.  One of my first sewing projects was to de-clutter my sewing room, I don't know why I let it get so cluttered when I'm not sewing, it becomes a dumbing ground for any sewing related item.  After de-cluttering I finished a pair of pants and a blouse that I had started a couple of weeks ago.  They were almost finished, just needed to hem the pants, and sew the one and only button on the blouse.  I really like the way they turned out.  Then I decided to put the binding on a quilt that I am giving to my great niece.  She is only two, but she gets so many toys and clothes that I decided this year I would make her a Christmas quilt, everyone needs their own Christmas quilt!!  I have two more Christmas quilts that I need to get quilted, actually one is at the quilter's now.  My two great nephews are also getting quilts.  Hopefully more sewing this week, now that I am adjusting to working again.

Blogging Away

As most of you know for the last few weeks I have had some major blogging problems.  First my background  disappeared, then my followers disappeared.  This was followed by several other minor blogging problems.  Since school started back and I was back at work there was little time left for me to work on finding a new background that I liked.  I never knew there were so many blog backgrounds out there.  Today, with DH out of town, I finally had a chance to sit down and do some maintenance work.  I liked my old background better, but this one is ok.   This has been a rough week back at work, we have two new Assistant Principals, and lots of new students.  A new school was built close by which lead to the redistricting of many of our students, we lost some and gained some if that makes sense.  It also hasn't helped that it has been almost 100 degrees everyday this week.  Those poor kids aren't getting to go outside for recess and it is their first week back.  I hope that the weather breaks soon and things cool off, it would also be great if we could get some rain. 

Blueberry Picking

The weekend was spent up at the cabin.  I really needed to get away and relax for a few days after heading back to work.  I only worked three days, but I was exhausted.  There was no rest a the cabin. There is a huge blueberry patch not far from our cabin and the blueberries were just perfect.  DH and I stopped by and picked two gallon jugs full.  We get lots of whatever we are getting.  It was so hot,  I thought I was going to die while picking blueberries, but it was definitely worth it. 

After all of the canning and preserving I had done earlier in the week, I couldn't face that again, so all of the blueberries went in the freezer. 

I did leave enough out for a cobbler.  It was yummy.

Best Laid Plans

I finally resolved some of my blogger issues, at least I have all of my icons back, no to figure out a new background that I like.  That was one of the jobs I wanted to complete this week before going back to school today, along with lots of sewing and reading, or as much as I could possibly do in two days.  None of that happened!  Sunday afternoon one of our neighbors said their figs were ripe and if we wanted some we should get them, she also mentioned that their pears were also ripe.  I love fresh figs, and my DH loves fig preserves along with pear preserves.  So Sunday afternoon in the 90 plus heat we went out to pick figs and pears.  We were a little over zealous in our fig picking, we had a five gallon bucket full of the darn things.  First thing Monday morning I headed out to Kroger to get Sure Jell and some jelly jars, little did I know this was going to be a day long project.  I ended up making 26 jars of fig preserves.  15 of the jars are just regular fig preserves, the others are fig/strawberry, you make those by adding strawberry jello.  I had never made those, but several people had recommended trying the addition of the jello.  I have to admit that they turned out really good.

Some of the finished product.After working on figs all day on Monday, Tuesday it was time to work on the pears.  Again we had gotten carried away with the pears and had not one but two buckets of pears.  I only made 7 jars of pear preserves.  The rest I will can whole baked pears, and pear crisps later in the fall and the winter.  That will be a project for another day, probably tomorrow.  I had to take a break this afternoon after my first day back at school.  Tomorrow is another day.

I am sooooo frustrated!!!!

I am so upset with Blogger. First my background disappeared, now when I want to add images to a post there is no add an image icon. I have tried everything I can to get it to work, but no luck. Anyone else out there having problems. I don't even have a spellcheck icon.