Where does the time go?

It's been a while since I've posted and I didn't even realize it.  Things have been busy over here.  I've been working to get a bunch of things finished so that I'm not stressing, getting the laundry done that I like to ignore (sheets, towels).... there is a reason why I own 8 sets of sheets for my bed and have 30 towels and wash cloths!  LOL! 

Some good no GREAT news came my way a couple of weeks ago.  I'm super excited and super nervous at the same time.  I GOT A JOB!!!  WOOHOOOOO!!  As much as I was enjoying my time at home these last 6 months, money has been super tight.  So I start a new full-time job on Monday.  I need some good vibes my way on Monday, okay?

Onto some other things.  On Monday, my aunt and grandmother came over and we had a "Pierogi Making" lesson.  Only my aunt and grandmother know the recipe and process.  My cousin has no desire to learn how to make them so I stepped up.  4 hour lesson and I have 15 dozen pierogi in my freezer.  Homemade.  YUM YUM!!  Now, I would like to post the recipe and I can for the filling but for the dough?  I have no measurements.  It's all by look and feel and I had my grandmother coaching me all the way.  But at least I know what to look for.  Here are a couple of snapshots from my lesson.

Grandma hard at work, rolling and cutting dough rounds

My batch before getting boiled

13 dozen - cooling for the freezer

I finally finished Amelia's "Amelia" quilt top.  Finally.  Now I can get backing for it and get it quilted so that I can give it to her for Christmas.

One last thing.  Ellyn received her chickens so I can post them here.  She and I had a mini swap and I made her a little chicken family.

Cute chickens!

I've also sent out my Santa Sack Swap gifts for September and October yesterday.  Melissa - be on the lookout for the box! 

Amelia is going to be home from school soon and I have to get a light dinner ready for her so that she won't be starving at her Karate class. 

Enjoy your day!
Jen

As promised!

Okay.  New card reader purchased and now I can show you what I have been up to.  Well, I can't show everything since some of it is a secret for my Santa Sack swap partner, Melissa.  :)

Ellyn and I did a mini swap and she included some Halloween charms with my swap items.  Instead of sticking them on a shelf for "someday", I whipped this table topper/runner up.  Super simple patchwork.  Nothing fancy but the top is done!  Now to get it quilted... that's another story!  I'll show you what I sent Ellyn as soon as she receives the package.

And this.  It's just a sneak peek but what I'm working on... it's coming out fabulous!  I love it and thankfully have enough fabric to make myself one too!  It's my December Santa Sack swap item.  I know.  Jumping ahead.  I have September and October done and they are ready to go into the mail.  November's gifts I'm still debating but December has been started.  Melissa, here's a sneak peek for ya!

And I need to share these.  Those of you "80s girls" will appreciate my handiwork.  Amelia's school had Crazy Hate/Crazy Hair Spirit day last Friday.  Since we don't own any crazy hats, we teased and sprayed 80s Old School style.  My hair prodigy.  I had big hair and I mean BIG HAIR back in the day.  Sigh.  I miss it sometimes.

LOL!
Enjoy your day!
Jen

Insert pictures here

First off, I would like to thank everyone for their condolences.  Bloggy friends are super terrific!  Saturday was a really hard day to get through but it's done.  Dave is a peace and I think the family is as well.  The next several months are going to be hard with the holidays coming up but I know they know Dave is watching over them.

The service was beautiful and emotionally draining.  The picnic afterward to celebrate Dave's life was awesome.  I think at one point, there were close to 400 people there.  That night, we went to our neighbor's house for a bon-fire and fireworks.  A fitting tribute and send off to a great man.

Okay, before I start crying again, onto some sewy-ness.  As you can see from my post title, I have nothing to show you.  Not that I haven't been sewing, I HAVE.  It's just that my SD cord to get the pictures from my card to the computer has decided it doesn't like me anymore and doesn't want to work.  Soooo, I have to get to Walmart and get another one.  Tomorrow.

I hope you will be back tomorrow (or the next day) to check out what I've been up to.

Enjoy your day!
Jen

Sadness

God saw you getting tired
and a cure was not meant to be,
So he put his arms around you
and whispered "Come to Me".
With tearful eyes we watched you,
as we saw you pass away.
Although we loved you deeply,
we could not make you stay.
Your Golden Heart stopped beating,
hard working hands at rest.
God broke our hearts to prove to us,
He only takes the best.
Copyright © 1997 Therese Williamson

A great man lost his battle with cancer yesterday afternoon and my heart is broken.  I sit here shedding tears as I type.  My neighbor introduced Chris and I 9 years ago.  Her father, Dave, worked on the same firehouse crew with Chris so I got to know him and the family very well.  Dave was a sweet and gentle man.  Would give you his shirt if you needed it.  He had a booming voice and his smile went from ear to ear.  Every time he saw me, he gave me a big "HI JEN!" with a hug and a kiss.  Asked about Amelia all the time.  He loved her as his own granddaughter.  He was not my family but I will miss him so much.

Forever Rest In Peace, Dave.  You will be missed more than you can ever imagine.

XOXO

Jen

My new favorite thing to do!

Hand sew bindings!  Wow.  I never thought I would say those words!  Seriously.  I hate hand sewing on bindings.  Sinta and I were talking over email about how close Christmas is and I had commented that there are 2 quilts that I want to finish and get quilted for gifts.  And since it's September and I hate to sew on bindings, I better get cracking!

Well, she was kind enough to forward me a link to a little tutorial that she uses (some of you may already do this) and told me to give it a shot.  I read through it, gathered up the necessary tools and set out to work.  And you know what?!  On Sunday afternoon, I got a binding sewn down and completed in 3 hours and not 3 days!  It's just a simple wall hanging that I had Sharon quilt for me about a year ago and it just sat around over here because like I said... I hate(d) hand sewing on bindings!

Others may look at this and say Jen??  That would only take me 3 hours to do to begin with!  Well, I'm slow.  I'm excited to have learned this new way (new to me anyway) of "loading the needle" and getting it done.  I'm now moving on to another wall hanging that needs its binding sewn down.  Super excited!

Oh.  Do you want to see it?

close up of center

Enjoy your day!
Jen

Birdie Stitches and Super Josh

June Birdie Stitches is done and only 3 months behind.  Not bad.  I may just finish this quilt after all!  Terry had modified the June block and shared her idea on her blog.  While I liked the original June block, I left it looked out of place in the grand scheme of things if you were to lay out the blocks in month order.  If it was in the center of the quilt, I think it would have worked.  I'm kicking the idea around of still making the original June block but using it on the back.

ANY-way.  I liked Terry's change and I followed her lead.

Onto Super Josh.  My cousin's little boy is turning 3 next Saturday and she asked me if I would make him a cape.  Well, OF COURSE!  Punk is my model and now I need to make HER one.  My very talented brother took the original Superman logo and substituted the "S" for a "J".  Now it's SUPER JOSH!  Yes, yes.  I KNOW the logo on the cape is supposed to be yellow with a black outline but I didn't like it!  It looked so boring.  So I used the colors from the logo on Superman's chest instead.  Much better.

IGNORE THE MESS!

Again, IGNORE THE MESS!

Ellyn?  Do you see your chickens?!  LOL!!

I found this tutorial online and I'm glad I had Amelia model Josh's.  It's a little snug for her in the neck.  So I'll have to adjust when I make her "pink and purple with flowers and Super Amelia written out" cape.

I'm very excited to give Josh his cape.  I hope he loves it!

Enjoy your day!
Jen

Just some things

Well Hi There!  It's a been about a week since I've really posted on here.  Let me catch you up.  Power was FINALLY restored to my house on Saturday 9/3 around 7:00 pm.  A couple days sooner than we were told and I was super happy about it.  Life has finally gotten back to normal.

Speaking to back to normal.. SCHOOL STARTED!  WOOHOO!!!  The 1st day of school was pushed out 3 days due to the lack of power so instead of Amelia starting 1st grade on 8/31, she started 9/6.

new rolling backpack

It was raining so she wore her new raincoat.

First grade already.  I can't believe it.

Ellyn had admired my chicken pincushions and we decided to do a little mini swap.  Ellyn was totally on the ball and sent mine already.  Me?  I'm a little slow.  I'm working on it.  With the week of no power and my husband asking me not to sew "too much" and then Amelia's first week of school... I'm getting my sewing groove back.  I'm working on it Ellyn!  I promise!  Do you want to see what she made me?

all the goodies!

mini "Jen" embroidery hoop

Halloween mug rug

That embroidery hoop is hung up in my sewing room already and the mug rug is next to my sewing machine.  Ellyn also included a ladybug barrette for Amelia.  It's in the first picture next to the buttons.  Amelia loves it.  And there are some Halloween charms there too that I decided I would make into a table topper for myself since I have zero Halloween decorations.  But I need to get a new walking foot first.  Mine busted and right now, I'm too cheap to spend the 50 bucks to get a new one.

While working on Ellyn's swap items, I also started on my October Santa Sack Swap items for Melissa.  My September items are all done but I thought I would get on the ball and get October done too and send both month's gifts at the same time.  Here's a little sneak peek...

OOOOO!  I wonder what it could be!

From my blog snooping reading, I found out that Halloween is Melissa's favorite holiday so I thought it would be appropriate to make something "Halloweeny" for her October gifts.  Sorry Melissa!  You will have to wait until NEXT Halloween to use them though!


That's all for now!
Enjoy your day!
Jen

We Will Always Remember

9/11/2001 - 9/11/2011

Tuesday 9/6 by 6pm

That, my friends, is the projected estimate from the power company as to when we will have power restored at my house.  T-U-E-S-D-A-Y.  Like NEXT WEEK.

Someone please do a little voodoo dance or something to make the power come back sooner!!!

I should not complain.  Many are suffering from loss of homes that got swept away in storm surges, flooding, property damage from trees and poles.  We had none of that.  We have running water and a generator to help keep things going here but it's still tough.  I have to be careful as to what I run in the house.  I can't overload the circuit.  So it's just a major pain in the you know what.

I would never make it on Little House on the Prairie.  NEVER.

And with that said, I'm tired of not sewing so I'm going to go do just that!

Enjoy your day!
Jen