Hmm, I must be slipping...no post for today.  I have some done for next week, but not today.  

I have been hard at work quilting my wall hanging..I had gone out to Chenoadesigns quilt shop and  bought 2 spools of the correct colour of thread.  I used up those spools very quickly! With one I filled 2 bobbins and the other I used on top and before I knew it I needed more.  I had to stop and go out and buy more.

What I time I had with finding the correct needle for this project.  I tried bigger, smaller, quilting, sharps.. .still skipping stitches, one gave me stripback(I threw that one out).  I finally used an embroidery  needle.  It must have been the backing that I chose that was causing the problems because my test squares were fine.

Now I am more or less finished it, just need to square it up and bind it...and put a hangingsleeve on it.

Welcome sweet spring!

The weather has been gorgeous here... temperatures in the 70's and higher...records have been set for temps.  And with those records, this area has had smog advisories...ALREADY!  I dragged out some garden furniture and have been enjoying my lunches outside in the back yard. and started BBQing again.

 Weatherman now says it will get a little cooler tomorrow and maybe some rain.

But, now I have decided... and you can blame me if it gets really cold now...I am putting away my winter sweaters! and tops...taking out the capris!... packing away all the heavy stuff.  I never really wore it this winter anyway, it hasn't been that cold here.
This is the type of weather I really love...not hot and humid, so that my hair is a ball of curls (yeah, yeah, poor me)..or so hot it's oppressive that you can't breathe,  just warm enough to be comfortable with lots of sunshine, the birds chirping and singing, the breeze moving the windchimes just enough for a tinkling...Boy..am I waxing poetic!  Yes, I love spring!

I had a good look at my wall hanging and decided to fix the spot I missed appliqueing...just a little spot..So I did that and then I decided I was going to soak the wall hanging once more.  I took it down to the laundry room and and gave it a good rinse.  I decided to give it a soak in  warm water with some Oxy-clean...I've heard that it can take out excess dye.  I"ll try it...and I'm thinking to myself...'now I know why so many quilts with vibrant colours have black or dark backgrounds'.  I let it soak for 10 minutes in a gallon of water and 2 tablespoons of powdered Oxy-clean.  Then I rinsed and rinsed and rinsed.  And I thought...hmmmm.. I have some raycafix,  it is supposed to be used with hot water and just one fabric to set the dye.  I thought.....can't hurt..so I soaked it in raycafix (1 tbsp to 1 gallon water) for about 30 minutes.  All the bleeding dye was removed.  All is good..
So I've dried the wall hanging...have it layered on the diningroom table ready to pin ...my daughter sees it and says "I would like that one...can I have it?"
So, I guess she can have it.  Now to get it quilted!

While I was waiting for the computer I finished appliqueing my wallhanging and gave it a soak to remove all the glue and stabilizer.  The washaway stabilzer just melted away..I had used some other stabilizer on the back and I thought that melted pretty good too.   I rolled the wallhanging up in 2 towels to quickly dry it.  It was almost dry and I took it to the ironing board to press.  And I thought  "what IS that stickiness right there?"  It was the other stabilizer I used where I had zigzaged some stems...it really hadn't melted away..there was a whole bunch of fibres and glue there.  I had to rub it off. And then I noticed...oh crap ...some of the colour was bleeding.  I rinsed it again, blotted it in a towel and let it dry.  I may rinse it some more.  I certainly wish we could get that "DYE MAGNET" product they have in the states.
Today I noticed that I missed a small area on the applique.  I will have to finish that before I layer the quilt and that is what I am going to do now.

What a night this has been...I came to the computer to do a few things and then go and sew BUT the computer froze...shut down and refused to open again.   I had some work that I did and was ready to send it off when it froze.  I tried restarting and it went into an endless loop....around and around..  I tried everything I could.  Of course it didn't want to restore...and wouldn't restart.  I tried my rescue disk...it said it couldn't open windows..I just kept trying and finally it gave me the option of a complete reset...did I want to save my files???   YES....YES..but it didn't save anything..  I lost everything..pictures, music, docs, all my stuff for guild. I had all sorts of quilting designs that I had saved..quilt patterns, embroidery designs. The mister lost all of his stuff...emails..expense reports ..sales reports..We lost programs.  We went back to factory settings.  I have to reinstall them AFTER I remember...oh..that's missing...hmmm...where did that go??  Most important is the printer..I have that back up, but I lost Outlook express...I've been trying to reload that, but not sucessful so far.  Apparently it is not supported any longer.      I need to reload Word..Adobe...gee..what else?  And before I reload that stuff I have to reload the virus protector...if that doesn't run, the laptops aren't protected.  I worked over 7 hours on the computer, mostly waiting for it to respond.
If this doesn't work, I'm getting a new one!

I have finally finished appliqueing my wall hanging.  I was going to put it in the quilt show, but I really don't think I will be finished.  I now have to layer and quilt it, but first I have to soak it to remove the stabiliser.  I usually use a freezer paper method for applique, but then you have to remove the paper, which can be a huge pain....and sometimes you have to cut away the back of the quilt top to take out the paper.  I really don't like doing that, even though I used to do it.

I found a website that has a method that uses wash away stabiliser and WASHABLE school glue.  So, I tried it on this project.
http//www.generation-quilt-patterns.com/how-to-applique.html
It was easier to stack up the shapes to machine applique  them together, then place them on the quilt top, and machine applique them in place.  Wash away stabilizer has been around for a long time...embroiderers and cross stitchers have used this sort of product for many years.
I had heard other people complaining of really sticky fingers doing this method, but I also heard a hint about keeping a damp wash cloth at hand to wipe your fingers.  I kept mine in a reused  plastic icing container with a lid.  But I found with this method, you dry the glue with the iron, so I didn't really get sticky.
The applique pieces also became quite firm...easier to handle that way. I found it easier to place my pieces to sew them.
 So very soon I will start quilting it
I ordered some thread on-line to machine quilt it and of course, it is the wrong colour.  I also ordered a thread chart so that I can see the true colours of the threads.  I need some more thread....lol

 Darn...another that didn't come up at the right time...
I've been writing my blogs at different times of the day lately and I guess I am not paying enough attention to the times I have set for posting.
 There is a new shop in town.  I had seen advertising in my newsletter, I had talked a little about it with various friends.  So, I finally decided to go find it, and see how it is.
Chenoa Designs  is the name of the store and their website is
http://www.chenoadesigns.com/
I found the store  easily...it's in one of the little malls across from Maple Leaf Foods.  It faces the street and has a big sign, so it was easy to spot.  Lots of parking, too.
I was impressed with her threads selection.   She carries a wide variety of embroidery threads and quilting cotton threads.  I was told there is more on order.
There was a nice variety of books, patterns and notions.  She also had some batik fabrics (I never priced them), batting and lots of stabilisers.  She has a Handyquilter quilt frame and carried Brother machines.  I myself prefer Husqvarna..but that won't stop me! lol
A very nice little store...I will be back!

OPPPSSS...Don't know why this didn't post last night...but here it is..
Pysanky...the art of drawing on eggs...a traditional Easter time craft, but now done year long.  So beautiful and so delicate.  I have long thought that I would like to try my hand at this, but the thought of getting into another craft holds me back.  I already have far too much stuff and am torn between too many interests.  So I will continue to admire these beautiful creations from afar.  I am sure if I asked Thing One and Thing Two, they would like to try it, but then I would have all their stuff here... there is no room for anymore stuff!  They prefer chocolate eggs anyway!
 I remember a number of years ago when we had craft shows on television.(not anymore though! There are still lots on-air in the states)  And they showed decorating eggs.  They showed how to do pysanky and how to turn an ostrich egg into a beautiful box by lining it with silk and covering the edges with a premade purse-like clasp....or creating a vignette inside the egg... and creating the egg from sugar and adding the vignette....long time ago! lol
I don't usually decorate for Easter.  I used to change my wreath on the front door, take away darker flowers cover it with small hearts for valentines, take them off and cover it with shamrocks for St Patrick's day and add lighter spring flowers and some eggs for Easter.  Now I just change the whole wreath.  One for summer and one for winter.  Easier to store than all the other stuff.

Last night was quilt guild and this month we always have a "walk about". Members of the guild demonstrate tips and techniques for the other members.  Four members demo-ed for us.   It is always an interesting night, and last night was no exception.  Ruth showed how she machine bound her quilts, although her machine wasn't being co-operative.  She gave some good tips.  Outreach demo-ed some of their patterns.  We make about 30 quilts a year for donation and generally it is all the same people doing the work and fabulous work they do!..Melissa demonstated a 4 seam quilt using borderprints....very interesting..looks so complicated, yet it is so easy.   And last, but not lest, Elizabeth demonstrated free motion quilting...mctavishing .  Such an easy style of free motion quilting and it looks fabulous. Once you get the knack, you will develope your own "style".

Every year after our vacation, the girls are on spring break and I have them here...except for the year we TOOK them on our vacation...
I've given them a choice of activities...the other day Thing One sat and watched videos and perused a book on drawing techniques.  She never put pencil to paper.  Thing Two on the other hand, took her book of learning to draw and set herself up in my sewing room and practised all afternoon.
The next day we went to a friend's house for lunch (fruit crepes).  These kids that we visited are a few years younger than Thing One and Two.  The younger kids are thrilled to be able to interact with the older kids and the oldest enjoyed playing with the toddler..they went outside and ran with the dog and flew a kite with Poppy...that is until part of the kite broke..
The day after that, Daddy gave them the option to stay home with him and sleep in.  So I get to also..lol
I guess I could do some work in my sewing room today....or should I say play in my sewing room.
We spent a couple of afternoons going to Value Village...the girls were able to pick up a few items of clothing that they liked and were new.  In fact we found more stuff there at "V V's" than at the retail stores we visited.
So, another spring break is gone...not too much hassle and not too much done..just lazin' around and enjoying not having to rush and get stuff done.

We will miss all the people we have met while on vacation.  Travellers our age, older, younger.  All the young people who work SO hard to make our time enjoyable.  We had the same people as servers at each meal in two different restaurants.  We are told we don't need to tip, but we do....just a little...we want to show our appreciation.  And they work long, long hours.  Always a smile for you.

And some of the people we met there that are from here. 

Some of these people come back year after year to the same resort.   Maybe we  will go back and see them again next year.   

And of course the people that work there...see what new things the chefs  are doing with food sculpture and sugar work.

                               

Happy St Patricks Day everyone!

We are back to reality.  It's been another long day travelling, we don't get to bed until 3am, and in the morning the mister is planning on going to the office.  Mind you, it's just downstairs.  He will be on the phone all day long.
I have a mountain of laundry to do and the fridge is empty.  I have to think about what to make for dinner. 
The cat has been shedding like crazy!  There is fur all over.  She is a heavy shedder and when she is stressed it is really bad.  She's not speaking to me, won't come when I call, not even for a treat.  She keeps hiding under a bed.  It will take her a couple of days before she forgives me.  lol
I am anxious to get back into sewing.  I didn't take any with me, but  I read 5 books while I was away.  I had picked up a couple at the resort library and left books I had finished.  Someone even asked me for a book when I finished it..I gave it to her a couple of hours later,  better than bringing them home again.
I always unplug my sewing machines before I leave, I don't want anything to happen to them.  Too much money involved there!! My daughter says the power was out, so there could have been a spike...spikes are bad!
Next week is spring break for my grand daughters.  I don't know if Thing One and Thing Two have any plans.  Maybe I can get them into the sewing room again.  The weather is supposed to be gorgeous, maybe we will ride our bikes, or do a nature walk. I think I am going to have to get another bike...someone has taken over mine since she is now TALLER than me...which really isn't very tall!

As we walk the beach we notice that some of the resorts have an awful lot of students in them.  They are noisy and drunk.  Thank goodness a person has to stick to the resort they are booked into.  We all start talking about the students.  We have been here before and noticed there a far more than last year and the year before.  We hear some horror stories of students trashing this resort last year.  We know from experience that they can be a royal pain.  A couple of years ago the place we stayed in was trashed while we were there..we had an episode of our luggage being hijacked by a drunk young woman when we arrived the last time we came to Punta Cana.  The more  we talk to people, the more we hear....doesn't spoil our vacation though...the kids aren't staying at our hotel.  There are a few couples, but they are quiet.  Apparently they had a lot of kids at this resort last year and they did $100,000.00 plus damage..even tore apart a local fisherman's boat.  The management refuses to book the students here now.

Our 2 weeks passes fast, and now we have to get ready to come back to reality.  We are both well fed and rested and well kissed by the sun.
At the airport, we meet more people from other resorts and THEY are talking about all the kids and damage they are doing. We all exchange stories, appalled at these kids.  One of the couples we met gives us a bit of advice..Before we book, check out a website called Student City.  It gives all the hotels where the students are staying.
So, I've checked that out.....HOLY CRAP!!! the 2 resorts where we did have problems are 2 of the hotels where they book all the kids!  NO WONDER!...and...they book them as PARTY places...now I know where NOT to go and believe me I will stay away from them.   I also found out that this StudentCity had overbooked ..they placed over 350 kids in other hotels and sent some home.  I also found out that the hotels are now asking for a $1000.00 damage deposit from the kids.
Mind you, we have been there many times and have encountered many students that were friendly, sober and considerate, but it is too bad that so few give so many a bad name.

One day turns into another, the same routine every day...go for breakfast...go to the beach...go for a walk..go for a snack...lay on a cot , then go for lunch...back to the beach...off for a walk...go up to the bar, get a couple of  drinks each and play cards until the sun goes down....go back to the room ...get ready to eat dinner... go and eat..again. So relaxing not having to worry about a thing.  Everyday but one is warm, sunny and beautiful.

 Then off to the lobby to have a drink, be entertained by which ever group is playing at the piano bar..(we never seen to make it to the theatre)  and try to get online...and I say try.  Everyone and I mean everyone has an electronic device and is trying to connect to the net.  The was one guy there that had three devices going at once.  I found trying to get online very frustrating.  I sometimes could get an email out, no problem..then nothing.  I felt like my blackberry was an expensive frisbee.  I finally got smart, went to a different lobby and was able to send and recieve email.

There were huge storms in the states that one cool day we had..50 tornadoes sighted and towns wiped out.  My sister was in the projected path...I was a little worried.

There was a train derailment at home...heard just enough...worst was when there was a HUGE housefire next door to my daughter....I had to make sure everyone was okay.

Ah, paradise.

We needed this vacation badly...and it is perfect here.  The sun,  sand , surf and food.

The beach is fabulous, but we all ready know that..we have to get up early to get a shady spot at the pool.  The food is great...lots of choice..we like to try everything at the buffet, but it is not possible...just too much food! lol.  I like the salads they come up with...the chefs will mix different things together and call it salad...and it tastes GOOD!  We have a 'snack' every day of fried chicken or fish..they called it Kentucky fried chicken, but  Dominican fried chicken was far better than any KFC I've tasted.  I've always found the food there has so much more flavour, the fruit is actually ripe and tastes so much better than what we get here.  Melons, pineapple and all the tropical fruit ..ripe and juicy.

Our flight was fine, no problems whatsoever. We arrived late in the evening and it's a long drive to the resort.  The bus is far from full and everyone is staying at the same resort, although in different sections.  It's dark out now and we really can't see much of the resort.  One of the couples on the bus has been to this resort 7 times.  They rave about the resort.  We haven't had a bad experience here yet, we always have a great time in the Dominican Republic.
We have been shown to our room and this will be 'home' for a couple weeks.
I will spend a half hour making it ours...hanging up clothes, finding place for all the suntan lotion and some toiletries.
Down to the lobby for a drink, then back to the room for bed...it's late and it's been a long ...long day.

Well, we are ready.  Bags are packed and ready to go.
If I have forgotten anything, it is too late.
I won't know 'til we get there.  Hopefully nothing is left behind.
The limo will be here soon and we are off to the airport to sit and wait for 3 hours....oh my...my behind hurts just thinking about all the sitting today.  It will be night-time before we get where we are going.
On one trip we arrived around 11-- 12  at night and the place was full of drunk, partying students. 
One such young lady jumped on our luggage cart and hi -jacked it!  The porter and the other people we were walking with were stunned...stood back as she wopped and rode the cart.  NOT ME...I walked over grabbed her arm and said..."That's enough...get down"...she wopped and shrieked .."Comonnn..loosen up..we're having fun".   HUH!? FUN! I was tired and cranky...I grabbed her arm and Yelled at her something she would understand..."GET THE F*&#@  off my luggage"...SILENCE in the whole room...all the kids said "woooo"..."better do as she says"...she got  off, I apologised to the other couple for my language and on we went to our rooms.  It was a pretty good holiday, but there were a whole LOT of students there at that time!

One thing I need to do is water my plants.  No one else needs to do it while I am gone.

I have 3 large trees in my home and and 2 smaller plants.  I don't have good windowsills for plants.  Usually I ignore the trees and they do fine.   I take the one I have in the living room outside in the summer.  LOL..One year one of the neighbours asked when I was planning on planting that tree (he was a landscaper)....he was surprised to hear it lives in the living room.  The others are in the familyroom and in my bedroom.

I've had the tree in the living room for 25 years..the other  ones, I've had for 15 or so years.

The trick for having them flourish?  I really don't know.  But I don't water them very often at all....maybe once a month..as to draughts.  The tree sits right in front of the window..and I open it and the wind blows in....not liking to be moved? I move it a couple of times a year.  I mash it up against a wall in the family room at Christmastime, because I put the Christmas tree in that spot in the livingroom.
 One year it blossomed..tiny, fragrant little flowers...then tiny seed like figs (?)..they were the size of and looked like, peppercorns.
I've trimmed that tree back too, .numerous times  One time I took the trimmings, stuck them in the soil with the tree and they grew!.
If that thing gets any bigger, I don't know what I will do with it.  It's taking over the corner now.
 One thing though,  I enjoy sitting in my chair, in the afternoon sun ..under that tree...even in the winter. ..just like being outdoors.

I can't forget my camera!
The last trip we went on, 2 years ago, we went to Mexico.  We went to see the ruins at Chichen Itza...no, not chicken pizza.  lol.  It was a full day and a very fun interesting one.  Our guide was well versed in his culture and on the historic value of Chichen Itza.


cenotes

 We saw cenotes.  We could swim if we wanted to. Some did.  They were told "NO peepee"!    The water was freshwater, clean and clear.  Full of fish.
There is no surface water in Mexico.  It's all underground lakes and rivers.
This cenote was close to the pyramids.

The pyramids were amazing...and there are MANY of them!  and numerous other buildings...but the aren't hollow.. every surface covered in carvings.

Wall of dead

This was a walled in raised area. The inside is grass.   The wall is relief of skulls.         It's called " wall of the dead"



inside one building

 This was a smallish building  ...just inside the doors is a small area..That's it! The inside is painted with scenes .


small building



We wondered around for most of the afternoon and found many more building and a couple of smaller cenotes..There was an ancient roadway to a dead cenote.  This cenote was surrounded by viewing platforms (?) or were they for sacrifice?  or maybe just drawing water.                                                                                                  

                                                                                            

   You can't walk or climb on any of the pyramids, anymore.  They are now one of the Wonders of the World. 
That was 2 years ago.





The mister has still not taken anything out for me to pack!
I took out his bathing suits and he put them away again.  Or let me know if he needs anything washed...like a jacket...

One trip we took he waited until a couple of hours before we were to leave before he even thought about what to take.  I was so mad at him !!  He started asking me..had I washed this? did I do that?  no!..NO!..how do I know what his is planning to take if he doesn't take it out?  He does this EVERY time!

I will stay calm......OHHHHMMMMMM  Look at the nice picture of the beach...just stay calm...if he doesn't have it packed ...tooo bad...stay  calm... nice pic...I will be there soon...soon...sooooon...nice water...warm sun.....ahhhhhhhh

Shoes...shoes...sandals! I bought some really fancy shoes for last years holiday and never got to wear them..I will take them with me this year.  I figure I need a pair for the beach and at least 2 pairs of nice shoes for night time.  I really wish that I could find some flip flops with a thick sole and a bit of a heel.  Those thin soled ones make my feet hurt.  I can't wear them very long.  I had a pair and wore them out.  And it's too early in the year to find them.

like these but, in a different colour

I have most stuff accumulated and on the bed ready and waiting for me to decide whether I really, REALLY need it.

In the mean time I have made and sewn labels on a couple of quilt items.
I haven't really done anything at all on the Farmers Wife Sampler Quilt.
I have a couple of quilts to quilt for outreach, but I don't want to start them yet.
I am trying not to make a big mess in my sewing room so that I don't have to clean it before I can start another block on the FWSQ.

I must have  my whole summer wardrobe on the spare bed.
The bed is covered in my summer clothes.  Hmm...looks like a lot of blue and white...and black.
Bathing suits..coverups...skirts ..dresses..pants...capris..t-shirts..blouses.
I dress very differently when I go on vacation.
I usually wear skirts and dresses.  I find it cooler to wear a skirt or skort .  And I only wear that for breakfast.  After breakfast we usually get changed for the beach.  Slaver on the suntan lotion.
After that, we spend the day outside, on the beach.
Evenings...I dress UP..why not?  I have some really nice summer dresses that I should wear more often than just on vacation.  I even wear heels and makeup!
So, now I have to decide just what I want to take .  Hmmmm decisions , decisions..