Back from vacation - aka, a quilting retreat!

Didn't notice I was gone, did ya? Well, I was in the Outer Banks of North
Carolina since May 22nd. I brought my laptop but the dial-up there was
spotty at best, so I wasn't on long even when I did connect. I did hold
happy, healing and comforting thoughts for all of you that had/will have
babies, grandbabies, had/have a sick family member/friend or lost a
treasured family member, friend or QI.

It was supposed to be a family vacation with my DSH, FIL, 2 step children,
DSD (and her two doggies) and DGS. With much hesitation, my DSD backed out
a few days before we left. The baby is crawling like crazy and needs
constant attention at this stage of the game. Plus, we would have had to
truck a bunch of his "equipment" down which would have been a real hassle.
The house we rented was 3 stories so it had lots of stairs and lots of doors
to outdoor decks. With the number of folks in the house going up and down
the stairs, it would have been frustrating to try to make sure all exits
were blocked from this little guy who heads for the nearest "danger zone" at
the drop of a hat. So, we missed her and the baby but could understand that
it was far more relaxing to her to have the house all to herself for a week
and to keep the baby on his daily schedule.

So, since I was driving my own car down this time with my step-daughter and
we had the room, I packed up my sewing machine and some WIP/UFO projects to
work on. On the way down, I started to have a tickle in my throat which I
attributed to allergies. That was Sunday. But the time we arrived in NC, I
no longer had a voice. Felt ok, but just couldn't talk. The next day I
decided not to ride to the beach with my DSH so I could rest up and
hopefully shake what ever I was coming down with. No such luck. It hit
full force by Monday afternoon. Still felt ok, now coughing in
uncontrollable spurts. Not much fun when you also have a weak bladder! I
was taking Ni-quil and the night time prescription cough elixir that I used
last month when I had the same thing. That at least let me sleep through
the night.

Still felt good, though, so I set up the sewing machine and a cutting area
on the extra big dining table (the house had two!) and started to organize
my projects. Mind you, this area was on the top floor of this house,
surrounded by large windows and sliding glass doors with views of the sound!
With gentle salt-water scented breezes wafting though the windows, I started
to sew. It felt good. I have not had more than an hour or two of solid
quilting since my DGS arrived, so I took full advantage of the opportunity.
The guys fished all morning, came home for lunch and then fished all
afternoon into the evening. So, I had no interruptions for most of the day.
Life was good!

Here's what I managed to complete:

My Scrappy Sack bag that I started in a class. It was basically done, but I
needed to do the top stitching and finishing hand work. Turned out great!

Two star banners for my sister. One was done, but the other needed the
quilting finished and the binding and hanging sleeve added. Two done!

My April and May BOM blocks! Pix will be posted, hopefully tomorrow. Loved
them both, and they went together very easily. Three/four done!

Made a quilt top (youth bed size) for my DGS#1. Used the "Easy Peasy"
pattern using a novelty fabric in the middle and a pieced border made with 6
of the colors from the center fabric. Five done!

Made a quilt top (52" x 52") for one of the gals that was there for the
birth of the DGS. She had a baby girl five months later. I had the fabric,
but just didn't have the time to make it. I ended up switching the pattern
too and when I showed it to my DSD, she loved it! It's pink and apple green
to match the new nursery. It hasn't told me its name yet, but I'm sure it
will by the time it gets bound. That makes six!

Then, I worked on my triple Irish Chain that was supposed to be a wedding
gift for the son of an old friend. I think it will end up being an
anniversary gift at this point in time. It's a king size quilt and, again,
just never had the block of time to get all the rows laid out properly and
sewn together. It needed a gazillion pins to keep the blocks aligned which
didn't help. But, I was able to lay out the rows on our bed (king sized,
thank goodness) and take the rows as needed to the machine. Finally, got
the top pieced! Hip, Hip, Hooray! The borders are already cut but I had
left them home thinking I wouldn't get that far, but I am still counting it
as number seven done!

Then I started to work on a rail fence quilt for my DS and DIL. I managed
to get all the strip sets made, cut and the blocks squared off. The borders
are cut and the backing is ready, so this one should be complete with
minimal time and effort. I also worked on a table runner for my sister. I
have the pattern picked out and I was able to get the fabric washed and
ironed and ready to cut.

In addition to all of this, my step daughter brought fabric to make one of
the Scrappy Sack bags, so we worked on that (got it done, too!) when she
didn't go with the guys. She used beautiful Asian silk fabrics with
coordinating cottons. It turned out beautiful! And she did all the cutting
and sewing and even modified the pattern to include a cell phone pocket!

So, for the first time in 15 years, I went to the Outer Banks and never made
it to the beach. But I thought of it as my quilting retreat by the sea!
Got home with lots of finished projects and a chest cold on the wane. The
baby is now pulling himself up on anything he can grab and oh, yeah, he cut
two top teeth! Geesh, we were only gone a week!

My sweet husband was able to spend some time alone with his children. His
son had a 96 hour leave which he was able to spend with his dad. He has
another leave from June 11 to June 25 and then he gets shipped to Iraq for a
7 month tour of duty, so it was important that he spend undivided time with
them. The fishing wasn't so good, the wind was blowing most of the day but
I don't think my husband noticed...........

--
Alice in NJ, Royal Cybrarian
http://www.ourcyberfamily.us
http://www.ourcyberfamily.us/RCTQ/index.htm (add a recipe)
"Just about the time a woman thinks her work is done, she becomes a
grandmother." Edward H. Dreschnack

Wow Alice, I enjoyed just reading about your get away. WIth the
exception of the cold I wish I could have done it myself. SOunds
like the time was a great one.
Thanks for sharing, and yes we did miss you.
TAria

AliceW wrote:
Didn't notice I was gone, did ya? Well, I was in the Outer Banks of North
Carolina since May 22nd. I brought my laptop but the dial-up there was
spotty at best, so I wasn't on long even when I did connect. I did hold
happy, healing and comforting thoughts for all of you that had/will have
babies, grandbabies, had/have a sick family member/friend or lost a
treasured family member, friend or QI.

It was supposed to be a family vacation with my DSH, FIL, 2 step children,
DSD (and her two doggies) and DGS. With much hesitation, my DSD backed out
a few days before we left. The baby is crawling like crazy and needs
constant attention at this stage of the game. Plus, we would have had to
truck a bunch of his "equipment" down which would have been a real hassle.
The house we rented was 3 stories so it had lots of stairs and lots of doors
to outdoor decks. With the number of folks in the house going up and down
the stairs, it would have been frustrating to try to make sure all exits
were blocked from this little guy who heads for the nearest "danger zone" at
the drop of a hat. So, we missed her and the baby but could understand that
it was far more relaxing to her to have the house all to herself for a week
and to keep the baby on his daily schedule.

So, since I was driving my own car down this time with my step-daughter and
we had the room, I packed up my sewing machine and some WIP/UFO projects to
work on. On the way down, I started to have a tickle in my throat which I
attributed to allergies. That was Sunday. But the time we arrived in NC, I
no longer had a voice. Felt ok, but just couldn't talk. The next day I
decided not to ride to the beach with my DSH so I could rest up and
hopefully shake what ever I was coming down with. No such luck. It hit
full force by Monday afternoon. Still felt ok, now coughing in
uncontrollable spurts. Not much fun when you also have a weak bladder! I
was taking Ni-quil and the night time prescription cough elixir that I used
last month when I had the same thing. That at least let me sleep through
the night.

Still felt good, though, so I set up the sewing machine and a cutting area
on the extra big dining table (the house had two!) and started to organize
my projects. Mind you, this area was on the top floor of this house,
surrounded by large windows and sliding glass doors with views of the sound!
With gentle salt-water scented breezes wafting though the windows, I started
to sew. It felt good. I have not had more than an hour or two of solid
quilting since my DGS arrived, so I took full advantage of the opportunity.
The guys fished all morning, came home for lunch and then fished all
afternoon into the evening. So, I had no interruptions for most of the day.
Life was good!

Here's what I managed to complete:

My Scrappy Sack bag that I started in a class. It was basically done, but I
needed to do the top stitching and finishing hand work. Turned out great!

Two star banners for my sister. One was done, but the other needed the
quilting finished and the binding and hanging sleeve added. Two done!

My April and May BOM blocks! Pix will be posted, hopefully tomorrow. Loved
them both, and they went together very easily. Three/four done!

Made a quilt top (youth bed size) for my DGS#1. Used the "Easy Peasy"
pattern using a novelty fabric in the middle and a pieced border made with 6
of the colors from the center fabric. Five done!

Made a quilt top (52" x 52") for one of the gals that was there for the
birth of the DGS. She had a baby girl five months later. I had the fabric,
but just didn't have the time to make it. I ended up switching the pattern
too and when I showed it to my DSD, she loved it! It's pink and apple green
to match the new nursery. It hasn't told me its name yet, but I'm sure it
will by the time it gets bound. That makes six!

Then, I worked on my triple Irish Chain that was supposed to be a wedding
gift for the son of an old friend. I think it will end up being an
anniversary gift at this point in time. It's a king size quilt and, again,
just never had the block of time to get all the rows laid out properly and
sewn together. It needed a gazillion pins to keep the blocks aligned which
didn't help. But, I was able to lay out the rows on our bed (king sized,
thank goodness) and take the rows as needed to the machine. Finally, got
the top pieced! Hip, Hip, Hooray! The borders are already cut but I had
left them home thinking I wouldn't get that far, but I am still counting it
as number seven done!

Then I started to work on a rail fence quilt for my DS and DIL. I managed
to get all the strip sets made, cut and the blocks squared off. The borders
are cut and the backing is ready, so this one should be complete with
minimal time and effort. I also worked on a table runner for my sister. I
have the pattern picked out and I was able to get the fabric washed and
ironed and ready to cut.

In addition to all of this, my step daughter brought fabric to make one of
the Scrappy Sack bags, so we worked on that (got it done, too!) when she
didn't go with the guys. She used beautiful Asian silk fabrics with
coordinating cottons. It turned out beautiful! And she did all the cutting
and sewing and even modified the pattern to include a cell phone pocket!

So, for the first time in 15 years, I went to the Outer Banks and never made
it to the beach. But I thought of it as my quilting retreat by the sea!
Got home with lots of finished projects and a chest cold on the wane. The
baby is now pulling himself up on anything he can grab and oh, yeah, he cut
two top teeth! Geesh, we were only gone a week!

My sweet husband was able to spend some time alone with his children. His
son had a 96 hour leave which he was able to spend with his dad. He has
another leave from June 11 to June 25 and then he gets shipped to Iraq for a
7 month tour of duty, so it was important that he spend undivided time with
them. The fishing wasn't so good, the wind was blowing most of the day but
I don't think my husband noticed...........

Sounds like a wonderful vacation.

--
Mary
http://community.webshots.com/user/mardor1948
"AliceW" wrote in message
...
: Didn't notice I was gone, did ya? Well, I was in the Outer Banks of North
: Carolina since May 22nd. I brought my laptop but the dial-up there was
: spotty at best, so I wasn't on long even when I did connect. I did hold
: happy, healing and comforting thoughts for all of you that had/will have
: babies, grandbabies, had/have a sick family member/friend or lost a
: treasured family member, friend or QI.
:
: It was supposed to be a family vacation with my DSH, FIL, 2 step children,
: DSD (and her two doggies) and DGS. With much hesitation, my DSD backed
out
: a few days before we left. The baby is crawling like crazy and needs
: constant attention at this stage of the game. Plus, we would have had to
: truck a bunch of his "equipment" down which would have been a real hassle.
: The house we rented was 3 stories so it had lots of stairs and lots of
doors
: to outdoor decks. With the number of folks in the house going up and down
: the stairs, it would have been frustrating to try to make sure all exits
: were blocked from this little guy who heads for the nearest "danger zone"
at
: the drop of a hat. So, we missed her and the baby but could understand
that
: it was far more relaxing to her to have the house all to herself for a
week
: and to keep the baby on his daily schedule.
:
: So, since I was driving my own car down this time with my step-daughter
and
: we had the room, I packed up my sewing machine and some WIP/UFO projects
to
: work on. On the way down, I started to have a tickle in my throat which I
: attributed to allergies. That was Sunday. But the time we arrived in NC,
I
: no longer had a voice. Felt ok, but just couldn't talk. The next day I
: decided not to ride to the beach with my DSH so I could rest up and
: hopefully shake what ever I was coming down with. No such luck. It hit
: full force by Monday afternoon. Still felt ok, now coughing in
: uncontrollable spurts. Not much fun when you also have a weak bladder! I
: was taking Ni-quil and the night time prescription cough elixir that I
used
: last month when I had the same thing. That at least let me sleep through
: the night.
:
: Still felt good, though, so I set up the sewing machine and a cutting area
: on the extra big dining table (the house had two!) and started to organize
: my projects. Mind you, this area was on the top floor of this house,
: surrounded by large windows and sliding glass doors with views of the
sound!
: With gentle salt-water scented breezes wafting though the windows, I
started
: to sew. It felt good. I have not had more than an hour or two of solid
: quilting since my DGS arrived, so I took full advantage of the
opportunity.
: The guys fished all morning, came home for lunch and then fished all
: afternoon into the evening. So, I had no interruptions for most of the
day.
: Life was good!
:
: Here's what I managed to complete:
:
: My Scrappy Sack bag that I started in a class. It was basically done, but
I
: needed to do the top stitching and finishing hand work. Turned out great!
:
: Two star banners for my sister. One was done, but the other needed the
: quilting finished and the binding and hanging sleeve added. Two done!
:
: My April and May BOM blocks! Pix will be posted, hopefully tomorrow.
Loved
: them both, and they went together very easily. Three/four done!
:
: Made a quilt top (youth bed size) for my DGS#1. Used the "Easy Peasy"
: pattern using a novelty fabric in the middle and a pieced border made with
6
: of the colors from the center fabric. Five done!
:
: Made a quilt top (52" x 52") for one of the gals that was there for the
: birth of the DGS. She had a baby girl five months later. I had the
fabric,
: but just didn't have the time to make it. I ended up switching the
pattern
: too and when I showed it to my DSD, she loved it! It's pink and apple
green
: to match the new nursery. It hasn't told me its name yet, but I'm sure it
: will by the time it gets bound. That makes six!
:
: Then, I worked on my triple Irish Chain that was supposed to be a wedding
: gift for the son of an old friend. I think it will end up being an
: anniversary gift at this point in time. It's a king size quilt and,
again,
: just never had the block of time to get all the rows laid out properly and
: sewn together. It needed a gazillion pins to keep the blocks aligned
which
: didn't help. But, I was able to lay out the rows on our bed (king sized,
: thank goodness) and take the rows as needed to the machine. Finally, got
: the top pieced! Hip, Hip, Hooray! The borders are already cut but I had
: left them home thinking I wouldn't get that far, but I am still counting
it
: as number seven done!
:
: Then I started to work on a rail fence quilt for my DS and DIL. I managed
: to get all the strip sets made, cut and the blocks squared off. The
borders
: are cut and the backing is ready, so this one should be complete with
: minimal time and effort. I also worked on a table runner for my sister.
I
: have the pattern picked out and I was able to get the fabric washed and
: ironed and ready to cut.
:
: In addition to all of this, my step daughter brought fabric to make one of
: the Scrappy Sack bags, so we worked on that (got it done, too!) when she
: didn't go with the guys. She used beautiful Asian silk fabrics with
: coordinating cottons. It turned out beautiful! And she did all the
cutting
: and sewing and even modified the pattern to include a cell phone pocket!
:
: So, for the first time in 15 years, I went to the Outer Banks and never
made
: it to the beach. But I thought of it as my quilting retreat by the sea!
: Got home with lots of finished projects and a chest cold on the wane. The
: baby is now pulling himself up on anything he can grab and oh, yeah, he
cut
: two top teeth! Geesh, we were only gone a week!
:
: My sweet husband was able to spend some time alone with his children. His
: son had a 96 hour leave which he was able to spend with his dad. He has
: another leave from June 11 to June 25 and then he gets shipped to Iraq for
a
: 7 month tour of duty, so it was important that he spend undivided time
with
: them. The fishing wasn't so good, the wind was blowing most of the day
but
: I don't think my husband noticed...........
:
: --
: Alice in NJ, Royal Cybrarian
: http://www.ourcyberfamily.us
: http://www.ourcyberfamily.us/RCTQ/index.htm (add a recipe)
: "Just about the time a woman thinks her work is done, she becomes a
: grandmother." Edward H. Dreschnack
:
:
:
:

Was that you I heard hollering at me?

--
Wendy
http://griffinsflight.com/Quilting/quilt1.htm
De-Fang email address to reply
Put on your Big Girl panties and just deal with it. -- unknown


"AliceW" wrote in message
...
Didn't notice I was gone, did ya? Well, I was in the Outer Banks of North
Carolina since May 22nd. I brought my laptop but the dial-up there was
spotty at best, so I wasn't on long even when I did connect. I did hold
happy, healing and comforting thoughts for all of you that had/will have
babies, grandbabies, had/have a sick family member/friend or lost a
treasured family member, friend or QI.

It was supposed to be a family vacation with my DSH, FIL, 2 step children,
DSD (and her two doggies) and DGS. With much hesitation, my DSD backed
out
a few days before we left. The baby is crawling like crazy and needs
constant attention at this stage of the game. Plus, we would have had to
truck a bunch of his "equipment" down which would have been a real hassle.
The house we rented was 3 stories so it had lots of stairs and lots of
doors
to outdoor decks. With the number of folks in the house going up and down
the stairs, it would have been frustrating to try to make sure all exits
were blocked from this little guy who heads for the nearest "danger zone"
at
the drop of a hat. So, we missed her and the baby but could understand
that
it was far more relaxing to her to have the house all to herself for a
week
and to keep the baby on his daily schedule.

So, since I was driving my own car down this time with my step-daughter
and
we had the room, I packed up my sewing machine and some WIP/UFO projects
to
work on. On the way down, I started to have a tickle in my throat which I
attributed to allergies. That was Sunday. But the time we arrived in NC,
I
no longer had a voice. Felt ok, but just couldn't talk. The next day I
decided not to ride to the beach with my DSH so I could rest up and
hopefully shake what ever I was coming down with. No such luck. It hit
full force by Monday afternoon. Still felt ok, now coughing in
uncontrollable spurts. Not much fun when you also have a weak bladder! I
was taking Ni-quil and the night time prescription cough elixir that I
used
last month when I had the same thing. That at least let me sleep through
the night.

Still felt good, though, so I set up the sewing machine and a cutting area
on the extra big dining table (the house had two!) and started to organize
my projects. Mind you, this area was on the top floor of this house,
surrounded by large windows and sliding glass doors with views of the
sound!
With gentle salt-water scented breezes wafting though the windows, I
started
to sew. It felt good. I have not had more than an hour or two of solid
quilting since my DGS arrived, so I took full advantage of the
opportunity.
The guys fished all morning, came home for lunch and then fished all
afternoon into the evening. So, I had no interruptions for most of the
day.
Life was good!

Here's what I managed to complete:

My Scrappy Sack bag that I started in a class. It was basically done, but
I
needed to do the top stitching and finishing hand work. Turned out great!

Two star banners for my sister. One was done, but the other needed the
quilting finished and the binding and hanging sleeve added. Two done!

My April and May BOM blocks! Pix will be posted, hopefully tomorrow.
Loved
them both, and they went together very easily. Three/four done!

Made a quilt top (youth bed size) for my DGS#1. Used the "Easy Peasy"
pattern using a novelty fabric in the middle and a pieced border made with
6
of the colors from the center fabric. Five done!

Made a quilt top (52" x 52") for one of the gals that was there for the
birth of the DGS. She had a baby girl five months later. I had the
fabric,
but just didn't have the time to make it. I ended up switching the
pattern
too and when I showed it to my DSD, she loved it! It's pink and apple
green
to match the new nursery. It hasn't told me its name yet, but I'm sure it
will by the time it gets bound. That makes six!

Then, I worked on my triple Irish Chain that was supposed to be a wedding
gift for the son of an old friend. I think it will end up being an
anniversary gift at this point in time. It's a king size quilt and,
again,
just never had the block of time to get all the rows laid out properly and
sewn together. It needed a gazillion pins to keep the blocks aligned
which
didn't help. But, I was able to lay out the rows on our bed (king sized,
thank goodness) and take the rows as needed to the machine. Finally, got
the top pieced! Hip, Hip, Hooray! The borders are already cut but I had
left them home thinking I wouldn't get that far, but I am still counting
it
as number seven done!

Then I started to work on a rail fence quilt for my DS and DIL. I managed
to get all the strip sets made, cut and the blocks squared off. The
borders
are cut and the backing is ready, so this one should be complete with
minimal time and effort. I also worked on a table runner for my sister.
I
have the pattern picked out and I was able to get the fabric washed and
ironed and ready to cut.

In addition to all of this, my step daughter brought fabric to make one of
the Scrappy Sack bags, so we worked on that (got it done, too!) when she
didn't go with the guys. She used beautiful Asian silk fabrics with
coordinating cottons. It turned out beautiful! And she did all the
cutting
and sewing and even modified the pattern to include a cell phone pocket!

So, for the first time in 15 years, I went to the Outer Banks and never
made
it to the beach. But I thought of it as my quilting retreat by the sea!
Got home with lots of finished projects and a chest cold on the wane. The
baby is now pulling himself up on anything he can grab and oh, yeah, he
cut
two top teeth! Geesh, we were only gone a week!

My sweet husband was able to spend some time alone with his children. His
son had a 96 hour leave which he was able to spend with his dad. He has
another leave from June 11 to June 25 and then he gets shipped to Iraq for
a
7 month tour of duty, so it was important that he spend undivided time
with
them. The fishing wasn't so good, the wind was blowing most of the day
but
I don't think my husband noticed...........

--
Alice in NJ, Royal Cybrarian
http://www.ourcyberfamily.us
http://www.ourcyberfamily.us/RCTQ/index.htm (add a recipe)
"Just about the time a woman thinks her work is done, she becomes a
grandmother." Edward H. Dreschnack

In article ,
"AliceW" wrote:

Alice, I'm so glad you're feeling better and that your "quilting
retreat" turned out so well for you. You certainly got enough done
for a month's worth of normal sewing and then some! G It sounds like
the whole group had a wonderful time doing what they wanted. Perfect
vacation!
--
Sandy in Henderson, near Las Vegas
my ISP is earthlink.net -- put sfoster1(at) in front
http://home.earthlink.net/~sfoster1

AKA Dame Sandy, Minister of Education

Couldn't have been - I had no voice! My husband didn't seem to mind,
though!

--
Alice in NJ, Royal Cybrarian
http://www.ourcyberfamily.us
http://www.ourcyberfamily.us/RCTQ/index.htm (add a recipe)
"Just about the time a woman thinks her work is done, she becomes a
grandmother." Edward H. Dreschnack



"frood" wrote in message
...
: Was that you I heard hollering at me?
:
: --
: Wendy
: http://griffinsflight.com/Quilting/quilt1.htm
: De-Fang email address to reply
: Put on your Big Girl panties and just deal with it. -- unknown
:
:
: "AliceW" wrote in message
: ...
: Didn't notice I was gone, did ya? Well, I was in the Outer Banks of
North
: Carolina since May 22nd. I brought my laptop but the dial-up there was
: spotty at best, so I wasn't on long even when I did connect. I did hold
: happy, healing and comforting thoughts for all of you that had/will have
: babies, grandbabies, had/have a sick family member/friend or lost a
: treasured family member, friend or QI.
:
: It was supposed to be a family vacation with my DSH, FIL, 2 step
children,
: DSD (and her two doggies) and DGS. With much hesitation, my DSD backed
: out
: a few days before we left. The baby is crawling like crazy and needs
: constant attention at this stage of the game. Plus, we would have had
to
: truck a bunch of his "equipment" down which would have been a real
hassle.
: The house we rented was 3 stories so it had lots of stairs and lots of
: doors
: to outdoor decks. With the number of folks in the house going up and
down
: the stairs, it would have been frustrating to try to make sure all exits
: were blocked from this little guy who heads for the nearest "danger
zone"
: at
: the drop of a hat. So, we missed her and the baby but could understand
: that
: it was far more relaxing to her to have the house all to herself for a
: week
: and to keep the baby on his daily schedule.
:
: So, since I was driving my own car down this time with my step-daughter
: and
: we had the room, I packed up my sewing machine and some WIP/UFO projects
: to
: work on. On the way down, I started to have a tickle in my throat which
I
: attributed to allergies. That was Sunday. But the time we arrived in
NC,
: I
: no longer had a voice. Felt ok, but just couldn't talk. The next day I
: decided not to ride to the beach with my DSH so I could rest up and
: hopefully shake what ever I was coming down with. No such luck. It hit
: full force by Monday afternoon. Still felt ok, now coughing in
: uncontrollable spurts. Not much fun when you also have a weak bladder!
I
: was taking Ni-quil and the night time prescription cough elixir that I
: used
: last month when I had the same thing. That at least let me sleep
through
: the night.
:
: Still felt good, though, so I set up the sewing machine and a cutting
area
: on the extra big dining table (the house had two!) and started to
organize
: my projects. Mind you, this area was on the top floor of this house,
: surrounded by large windows and sliding glass doors with views of the
: sound!
: With gentle salt-water scented breezes wafting though the windows, I
: started
: to sew. It felt good. I have not had more than an hour or two of solid
: quilting since my DGS arrived, so I took full advantage of the
: opportunity.
: The guys fished all morning, came home for lunch and then fished all
: afternoon into the evening. So, I had no interruptions for most of the
: day.
: Life was good!
:
: Here's what I managed to complete:
:
: My Scrappy Sack bag that I started in a class. It was basically done,
but
: I
: needed to do the top stitching and finishing hand work. Turned out
great!
:
: Two star banners for my sister. One was done, but the other needed the
: quilting finished and the binding and hanging sleeve added. Two done!
:
: My April and May BOM blocks! Pix will be posted, hopefully tomorrow.
: Loved
: them both, and they went together very easily. Three/four done!
:
: Made a quilt top (youth bed size) for my DGS#1. Used the "Easy Peasy"
: pattern using a novelty fabric in the middle and a pieced border made
with
: 6
: of the colors from the center fabric. Five done!
:
: Made a quilt top (52" x 52") for one of the gals that was there for the
: birth of the DGS. She had a baby girl five months later. I had the
: fabric,
: but just didn't have the time to make it. I ended up switching the
: pattern
: too and when I showed it to my DSD, she loved it! It's pink and apple
: green
: to match the new nursery. It hasn't told me its name yet, but I'm sure
it
: will by the time it gets bound. That makes six!
:
: Then, I worked on my triple Irish Chain that was supposed to be a
wedding
: gift for the son of an old friend. I think it will end up being an
: anniversary gift at this point in time. It's a king size quilt and,
: again,
: just never had the block of time to get all the rows laid out properly
and
: sewn together. It needed a gazillion pins to keep the blocks aligned
: which
: didn't help. But, I was able to lay out the rows on our bed (king
sized,
: thank goodness) and take the rows as needed to the machine. Finally,
got
: the top pieced! Hip, Hip, Hooray! The borders are already cut but I
had
: left them home thinking I wouldn't get that far, but I am still counting
: it
: as number seven done!
:
: Then I started to work on a rail fence quilt for my DS and DIL. I
managed
: to get all the strip sets made, cut and the blocks squared off. The
: borders
: are cut and the backing is ready, so this one should be complete with
: minimal time and effort. I also worked on a table runner for my sister.
: I
: have the pattern picked out and I was able to get the fabric washed and
: ironed and ready to cut.
:
: In addition to all of this, my step daughter brought fabric to make one
of
: the Scrappy Sack bags, so we worked on that (got it done, too!) when she
: didn't go with the guys. She used beautiful Asian silk fabrics with
: coordinating cottons. It turned out beautiful! And she did all the
: cutting
: and sewing and even modified the pattern to include a cell phone pocket!
:
: So, for the first time in 15 years, I went to the Outer Banks and never
: made
: it to the beach. But I thought of it as my quilting retreat by the sea!
: Got home with lots of finished projects and a chest cold on the wane.
The
: baby is now pulling himself up on anything he can grab and oh, yeah, he
: cut
: two top teeth! Geesh, we were only gone a week!
:
: My sweet husband was able to spend some time alone with his children.
His
: son had a 96 hour leave which he was able to spend with his dad. He has
: another leave from June 11 to June 25 and then he gets shipped to Iraq
for
: a
: 7 month tour of duty, so it was important that he spend undivided time
: with
: them. The fishing wasn't so good, the wind was blowing most of the day
: but
: I don't think my husband noticed...........
:
: --
: Alice in NJ, Royal Cybrarian
: http://www.ourcyberfamily.us
: http://www.ourcyberfamily.us/RCTQ/index.htm (add a recipe)
: "Just about the time a woman thinks her work is done, she becomes a
: grandmother." Edward H. Dreschnack
:
:
:
:
:
:

Quilting by the seaside! How wonderful! Too bad about your cold. Next
time, instead of Ni-quil, try my personal cure, Champagne and orange juice.
The OJ for the vitamin C and the booze to knock me out. Works like a charm
;o)

--
Carole
Champlain, NY
http://photos.yahoo.com/ceridwen_rhea

Fine style does not make something true, nor has a man a wise soul
because he has a handsome face and well-chosen eloquence.

Aurelius Augustinus (354-430)


"AliceW" wrote in message
...
Didn't notice I was gone, did ya? Well, I was in the Outer Banks of North
Carolina since May 22nd. I brought my laptop but the dial-up there was
spotty at best, so I wasn't on long even when I did connect. I did hold
happy, healing and comforting thoughts for all of you that had/will have
babies, grandbabies, had/have a sick family member/friend or lost a
treasured family member, friend or QI.

It was supposed to be a family vacation with my DSH, FIL, 2 step children,
DSD (and her two doggies) and DGS. With much hesitation, my DSD backed
out
a few days before we left. The baby is crawling like crazy and needs
constant attention at this stage of the game. Plus, we would have had to
truck a bunch of his "equipment" down which would have been a real hassle.
The house we rented was 3 stories so it had lots of stairs and lots of
doors
to outdoor decks. With the number of folks in the house going up and down
the stairs, it would have been frustrating to try to make sure all exits
were blocked from this little guy who heads for the nearest "danger zone"
at
the drop of a hat. So, we missed her and the baby but could understand
that
it was far more relaxing to her to have the house all to herself for a
week
and to keep the baby on his daily schedule.

So, since I was driving my own car down this time with my step-daughter
and
we had the room, I packed up my sewing machine and some WIP/UFO projects
to
work on. On the way down, I started to have a tickle in my throat which I
attributed to allergies. That was Sunday. But the time we arrived in NC,
I
no longer had a voice. Felt ok, but just couldn't talk. The next day I
decided not to ride to the beach with my DSH so I could rest up and
hopefully shake what ever I was coming down with. No such luck. It hit
full force by Monday afternoon. Still felt ok, now coughing in
uncontrollable spurts. Not much fun when you also have a weak bladder! I
was taking Ni-quil and the night time prescription cough elixir that I
used
last month when I had the same thing. That at least let me sleep through
the night.

Still felt good, though, so I set up the sewing machine and a cutting area
on the extra big dining table (the house had two!) and started to organize
my projects. Mind you, this area was on the top floor of this house,
surrounded by large windows and sliding glass doors with views of the
sound!
With gentle salt-water scented breezes wafting though the windows, I
started
to sew. It felt good. I have not had more than an hour or two of solid
quilting since my DGS arrived, so I took full advantage of the
opportunity.
The guys fished all morning, came home for lunch and then fished all
afternoon into the evening. So, I had no interruptions for most of the
day.
Life was good!

Here's what I managed to complete:

My Scrappy Sack bag that I started in a class. It was basically done, but
I
needed to do the top stitching and finishing hand work. Turned out great!

Two star banners for my sister. One was done, but the other needed the
quilting finished and the binding and hanging sleeve added. Two done!

My April and May BOM blocks! Pix will be posted, hopefully tomorrow.
Loved
them both, and they went together very easily. Three/four done!

Made a quilt top (youth bed size) for my DGS#1. Used the "Easy Peasy"
pattern using a novelty fabric in the middle and a pieced border made with
6
of the colors from the center fabric. Five done!

Made a quilt top (52" x 52") for one of the gals that was there for the
birth of the DGS. She had a baby girl five months later. I had the
fabric,
but just didn't have the time to make it. I ended up switching the
pattern
too and when I showed it to my DSD, she loved it! It's pink and apple
green
to match the new nursery. It hasn't told me its name yet, but I'm sure it
will by the time it gets bound. That makes six!

Then, I worked on my triple Irish Chain that was supposed to be a wedding
gift for the son of an old friend. I think it will end up being an
anniversary gift at this point in time. It's a king size quilt and,
again,
just never had the block of time to get all the rows laid out properly and
sewn together. It needed a gazillion pins to keep the blocks aligned
which
didn't help. But, I was able to lay out the rows on our bed (king sized,
thank goodness) and take the rows as needed to the machine. Finally, got
the top pieced! Hip, Hip, Hooray! The borders are already cut but I had
left them home thinking I wouldn't get that far, but I am still counting
it
as number seven done!

Then I started to work on a rail fence quilt for my DS and DIL. I managed
to get all the strip sets made, cut and the blocks squared off. The
borders
are cut and the backing is ready, so this one should be complete with
minimal time and effort. I also worked on a table runner for my sister.
I
have the pattern picked out and I was able to get the fabric washed and
ironed and ready to cut.

In addition to all of this, my step daughter brought fabric to make one of
the Scrappy Sack bags, so we worked on that (got it done, too!) when she
didn't go with the guys. She used beautiful Asian silk fabrics with
coordinating cottons. It turned out beautiful! And she did all the
cutting
and sewing and even modified the pattern to include a cell phone pocket!

So, for the first time in 15 years, I went to the Outer Banks and never
made
it to the beach. But I thought of it as my quilting retreat by the sea!
Got home with lots of finished projects and a chest cold on the wane. The
baby is now pulling himself up on anything he can grab and oh, yeah, he
cut
two top teeth! Geesh, we were only gone a week!

My sweet husband was able to spend some time alone with his children. His
son had a 96 hour leave which he was able to spend with his dad. He has
another leave from June 11 to June 25 and then he gets shipped to Iraq for
a
7 month tour of duty, so it was important that he spend undivided time
with
them. The fishing wasn't so good, the wind was blowing most of the day
but
I don't think my husband noticed...........

--
Alice in NJ, Royal Cybrarian
http://www.ourcyberfamily.us
http://www.ourcyberfamily.us/RCTQ/index.htm (add a recipe)
"Just about the time a woman thinks her work is done, she becomes a
grandmother." Edward H. Dreschnack

Welcome back, Alice! Glad to hear you had a happy productive vacation.
Watch out for your DGS now that he has teeth. I still have a table my DD
gnawed on and left tooth marks!! LOL Nancycog in MD

Well, after the damage Kirby did when he was a spry pup, we won't even
notice the tiny teeth marks from Finn! No new kitchen table and chairs
until everyone and everything in this household stops teething!

--
Alice in NJ, Royal Cybrarian
http://www.ourcyberfamily.us
http://www.ourcyberfamily.us/RCTQ/index.htm (add a recipe)
"Just about the time a woman thinks her work is done, she becomes a
grandmother." Edward H. Dreschnack



wrote in message
...
: Welcome back, Alice! Glad to hear you had a happy productive vacation.
: Watch out for your DGS now that he has teeth. I still have a table my DD
: gnawed on and left tooth marks!! LOL Nancycog in MD
:

I like your thinking! Got the oj, now where the heck did I put that
champagne??????

--
Alice in NJ, Royal Cybrarian
http://www.ourcyberfamily.us
http://www.ourcyberfamily.us/RCTQ/index.htm (add a recipe)
"Just about the time a woman thinks her work is done, she becomes a
grandmother." Edward H. Dreschnack



"C & S" wrote in message
...
: Quilting by the seaside! How wonderful! Too bad about your cold. Next
: time, instead of Ni-quil, try my personal cure, Champagne and orange
juice.
: The OJ for the vitamin C and the booze to knock me out. Works like a
charm
: ;o)
:
: --
: Carole
: Champlain, NY
: http://photos.yahoo.com/ceridwen_rhea
:
: Fine style does not make something true, nor has a man a wise soul
: because he has a handsome face and well-chosen eloquence.
:
: Aurelius Augustinus (354-430)
:
:
: "AliceW" wrote in message
: ...
: Didn't notice I was gone, did ya? Well, I was in the Outer Banks of
North
: Carolina since May 22nd. I brought my laptop but the dial-up there was
: spotty at best, so I wasn't on long even when I did connect. I did hold
: happy, healing and comforting thoughts for all of you that had/will have
: babies, grandbabies, had/have a sick family member/friend or lost a
: treasured family member, friend or QI.
:
: It was supposed to be a family vacation with my DSH, FIL, 2 step
children,
: DSD (and her two doggies) and DGS. With much hesitation, my DSD backed
: out
: a few days before we left. The baby is crawling like crazy and needs
: constant attention at this stage of the game. Plus, we would have had
to
: truck a bunch of his "equipment" down which would have been a real
hassle.
: The house we rented was 3 stories so it had lots of stairs and lots of
: doors
: to outdoor decks. With the number of folks in the house going up and
down
: the stairs, it would have been frustrating to try to make sure all exits
: were blocked from this little guy who heads for the nearest "danger
zone"
: at
: the drop of a hat. So, we missed her and the baby but could understand
: that
: it was far more relaxing to her to have the house all to herself for a
: week
: and to keep the baby on his daily schedule.
:
: So, since I was driving my own car down this time with my step-daughter
: and
: we had the room, I packed up my sewing machine and some WIP/UFO projects
: to
: work on. On the way down, I started to have a tickle in my throat which
I
: attributed to allergies. That was Sunday. But the time we arrived in
NC,
: I
: no longer had a voice. Felt ok, but just couldn't talk. The next day I
: decided not to ride to the beach with my DSH so I could rest up and
: hopefully shake what ever I was coming down with. No such luck. It hit
: full force by Monday afternoon. Still felt ok, now coughing in
: uncontrollable spurts. Not much fun when you also have a weak bladder!
I
: was taking Ni-quil and the night time prescription cough elixir that I
: used
: last month when I had the same thing. That at least let me sleep
through
: the night.
:
: Still felt good, though, so I set up the sewing machine and a cutting
area
: on the extra big dining table (the house had two!) and started to
organize
: my projects. Mind you, this area was on the top floor of this house,
: surrounded by large windows and sliding glass doors with views of the
: sound!
: With gentle salt-water scented breezes wafting though the windows, I
: started
: to sew. It felt good. I have not had more than an hour or two of solid
: quilting since my DGS arrived, so I took full advantage of the
: opportunity.
: The guys fished all morning, came home for lunch and then fished all
: afternoon into the evening. So, I had no interruptions for most of the
: day.
: Life was good!
:
: Here's what I managed to complete:
:
: My Scrappy Sack bag that I started in a class. It was basically done,
but
: I
: needed to do the top stitching and finishing hand work. Turned out
great!
:
: Two star banners for my sister. One was done, but the other needed the
: quilting finished and the binding and hanging sleeve added. Two done!
:
: My April and May BOM blocks! Pix will be posted, hopefully tomorrow.
: Loved
: them both, and they went together very easily. Three/four done!
:
: Made a quilt top (youth bed size) for my DGS#1. Used the "Easy Peasy"
: pattern using a novelty fabric in the middle and a pieced border made
with
: 6
: of the colors from the center fabric. Five done!
:
: Made a quilt top (52" x 52") for one of the gals that was there for the
: birth of the DGS. She had a baby girl five months later. I had the
: fabric,
: but just didn't have the time to make it. I ended up switching the
: pattern
: too and when I showed it to my DSD, she loved it! It's pink and apple
: green
: to match the new nursery. It hasn't told me its name yet, but I'm sure
it
: will by the time it gets bound. That makes six!
:
: Then, I worked on my triple Irish Chain that was supposed to be a
wedding
: gift for the son of an old friend. I think it will end up being an
: anniversary gift at this point in time. It's a king size quilt and,
: again,
: just never had the block of time to get all the rows laid out properly
and
: sewn together. It needed a gazillion pins to keep the blocks aligned
: which
: didn't help. But, I was able to lay out the rows on our bed (king
sized,
: thank goodness) and take the rows as needed to the machine. Finally,
got
: the top pieced! Hip, Hip, Hooray! The borders are already cut but I
had
: left them home thinking I wouldn't get that far, but I am still counting
: it
: as number seven done!
:
: Then I started to work on a rail fence quilt for my DS and DIL. I
managed
: to get all the strip sets made, cut and the blocks squared off. The
: borders
: are cut and the backing is ready, so this one should be complete with
: minimal time and effort. I also worked on a table runner for my sister.
: I
: have the pattern picked out and I was able to get the fabric washed and
: ironed and ready to cut.
:
: In addition to all of this, my step daughter brought fabric to make one
of
: the Scrappy Sack bags, so we worked on that (got it done, too!) when she
: didn't go with the guys. She used beautiful Asian silk fabrics with
: coordinating cottons. It turned out beautiful! And she did all the
: cutting
: and sewing and even modified the pattern to include a cell phone pocket!
:
: So, for the first time in 15 years, I went to the Outer Banks and never
: made
: it to the beach. But I thought of it as my quilting retreat by the sea!
: Got home with lots of finished projects and a chest cold on the wane.
The
: baby is now pulling himself up on anything he can grab and oh, yeah, he
: cut
: two top teeth! Geesh, we were only gone a week!
:
: My sweet husband was able to spend some time alone with his children.
His
: son had a 96 hour leave which he was able to spend with his dad. He has
: another leave from June 11 to June 25 and then he gets shipped to Iraq
for
: a
: 7 month tour of duty, so it was important that he spend undivided time
: with
: them. The fishing wasn't so good, the wind was blowing most of the day
: but
: I don't think my husband noticed...........
:
: --
: Alice in NJ, Royal Cybrarian
: http://www.ourcyberfamily.us
: http://www.ourcyberfamily.us/RCTQ/index.htm (add a recipe)
: "Just about the time a woman thinks her work is done, she becomes a
: grandmother." Edward H. Dreschnack
:
:
:
:
:
: