Quilting a challenging Challenge

I've hit the work schedule pretty hard this week for a Quilt Challenge due in April. At the end of the display I'll post a picture but for now all I can show are the fabrics I'm using. I spent a good portion of Saturday prepared to cut and sew pieces together only to be challenged by the design I made last weekend. It was just too too much. I needed to incorporate a much simpler element and now that I've accomplished those changes I know I'll be more confident when construction begins tomorrow. I'm way behind schedule, but I think I'll like this plan better. I've entered many challenges before, always reaching to do the best that I can and many times I'm rewarded with only the satisfaction of knowing it's a one of a kind work of art, but with a desire for that elusive ribbon. The ribbons are nice to receive, sort of an "at ta boy", pat on the back kind of thing from quilting peers. My ribbons are curled up in a shoebox. The shoebox is high on a closet shelf. The shoebox only means something to me. The quilts I enter are all over the house. The quilts mean something to not only myself but my family as well. They all know what it takes for me to be completely happy with the end results of my projects. Most of the time they are a patient bunch having to put up with either late meals, poorly planned meals or meals on the fly because I'm in the studio longer than planned. It's just how my kids grew up, and they knew the planning and piecing and cutting and sewing was all a therapy that kept me wrapped a little tighter than I normally would have been. So here are the fabrics that I'm using in the challenge and at the close of the first week of May I'll post a picture of the challenge wallhanging quilt I've entered and if we think positive we'll see a ribbon in the picture. A ribbon that will be put in a shoebox on a high shelf in a closet. A ribbon that will be forgotten by everyone, except me!

Game On 4.5

Game On Diet

My commitment to having a blog entry every week is to post something Positive and Simple, to recognize the little joys that make me smile. If I'm not paying attention, these things slip through the cracks, forgotten and unappreciated forever. So this week, FOOD was the concentration of most of my waking hours. Have you heard of the book called, Game On Diet? One of the producers of Greys Anatomy (yes the only smut show I watch) is co creator of this SIMPLE yet effective approach to healthy eating by making a game out of it. I'm one of 5 people on a team, who are playing against another team, all women, all trying to shed unwanted fat. We are just tired of lugging it around and anyone 50 an over can confirm that getting rid of fat at this age is almost impossible unless you work at it. Work at it hard in fact! We started last Weds. Every day we get points for eating the correct foods, at the right time, and exercising and also communicating with all team members. The foods are regular foods that you can find in any grocery store. My mornings now start with 20 minutes of cardio activity, so if you see me dancing around the living room at 6:30am don't be concerned, I'm alright and I'm not carrying on like that because I just found the winning lottery ticket for this week. I get my meals for the day prepared and packed and drink a gallon of water (no exaggeration)for additional points and concentrate on "playing the game" and being obedient to good habits. So what is the positive and simple thing I've gleaned this week? It was grocery shopping with my daughter Erinn, who has a natural instinct for choosing foods and snacks that are just simply good for you. Since I'm the one playing the Game I can confidently say she didn't inherit that instinct from me. The game hasn't been to difficult for me to play since it involves consuming many veggies we grew in our garden and preserved this past fall. This photo was taken on a day when we took much out of the garden and spent hours in the kitchen preserving. Not only do I need to be conscience of paying attention to simple joys, I need to act on them. I'm learning so much. I'll keep you posted on my Game results. Each game lasts only four weeks and I hope to a few pounds lighter at the end of my 1st Game.

It's ME again!

Ok, here I am making my 2nd blog post. The internet makes it impossible to share everything about me, but one of my passions that I'm able to share is how I feel about Fiber...fibers of all kinds. Here is a picture of my cat Nudge (who my daughter TLR named)and a pair of socks in progress. I'm much more able to keep my cool during a working week when I make myself find time to do something that is creative. Fiber is a good outlet for me to do just that. Most of the knitting fiber I use is 100% wool and these pretty little socks will keep my feet dry and warm during the long winter months in NW Ohio. My two most enjoyable things to knit are socks and mittens. Baby sweaters come next. Do any of you work with wool fiber? I'd love to hear about it!

Debbi

Begin at the Beginning. Just Fine!

Somewhere during my elementary years Mrs Lempke told our class that everything has a beginning. So at the start of this blog and the start of this new year, I begin here.

Our New Years day started off just as in past years, parades on the television in the morning followed by the buzz of Football games in the afternoon. By mid morning I was upstairs in the studio sewing quilt blocks for a "Saturday Sampler" class I started at the end of October. I told myself years ago that I'd never do another Saturday Sampler having four under my belt already, but here I was enjoying another year after a 3 year hiatus. Up and down the stairs I'd scoot checking on the football scores and the simple cherry pie I had in the oven. My husband is deep into the Big 10 but channel surfs all the games. It's the surfing that keeps me at bay and in my studio.

This first blog post reminds of my first essay. You never know what to write, when it's too much or too little. The ringing of the stove timer reminds me to remove that cherry pie so I'll wish all a Happy New Year with good health and wisdon. My families ordinary start to another year suits me just fine. Just fine!