Frustrated, Errrrrrr....

I purchased my Artistic 640 Bernina 2nd hand about 3 years ago.  And I loved it.  But, but, but, I really think my bobbin housing unit is screwed up.  I have had it in twice now for fixing.  During the embroidering process after about 2 min it starts to nest underneath and starts clinking.  I fix it, I pull every little thread out, I clean it,  blow on it, brush it but it still clinks.  I don't embroidery alot, but when I do, I want it to work.  Ya Know!   Well I was making a cute little tooth fairy pillow for my Emma.  Her tooth is ready anyday now to fall out and she is so silly about it.  Girls usually are.  But NO, I have to take it in again to see what is wrong.  
First I am a hands on girl and want to fix it myself.  But no symatics are on any web sight,  even the Bernina Repairman can't get one for me.  So he says.  So in I go with my machine all packed up, with another note and example of problem and there it will sit for 1 to 2 weeks until they get in whatever part they need and so by the time I get my machine back, I am on my way to another project. 
I gave up embroidery of a pink ribbon that I wanted on Emma's sister's quilt because of the last screw up with the nesting and bobbin housing flare up. 

Life is good though.  How can I complain? I can look at it as a challenge or a problem.  I like challenges better.  So I am going to quit my whinning, work on another project and maybe buy a tooth fairy pillow.    NOT!  Hehe! 

 

Quilt as I go-Gotta love this!

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="http://pileofabric.com/post/2012/12/28/skill-builder-block-of-the-month" title="Pile O' Fabric"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8363/8319269912_4085c384f9_o.png" alt="Pile O' Fabric" style="border:none;" />

I am involved with BOM with http://Pileofabric.com.   Hopefully I can post her block above and post my pictures today.  Well here goes-----

This quilt will be a series of blocks, some traditional and some by Pile O' Fabric.  I will be working on my free motion and be more exact in my cutting and piecing.  I'm a fly by my pants kind of gal and I love just grabbing fabric, ripping it and sewing and see what comes out.  The planning of a quilt drives me nuts.  Also I get so bogged down when I have to finish the top of a quilt, so pretty and nice, but no, I'm not finish yet - still have to quilt it.  UgH!   Then it tends to sit in it's little box until I get the energy to finish it.  Mostly I get distracted by another cool project like this one.  :')  If you look back in this blog, you will notice I have a pink and grey quilt that I started for my Adeline.  But I'm distracted because, I like these colors more, I can't figure out how to put the top together in a pleasing way, (the blocks are done) So procrastination sets in, and I get stuck.  Sometimes I am so flaky.  Well, that's what my dad use to say to me.    So stay tuned,  I will finish all of this before I die.  Promise.    (Now it is in writing, Oh No!)

Pileoffabric.com BOM

I so love the social network.  I have learned from so many quilters, knitters, crocheters, artist and other through their blogs, Flicker and Facebook.  This would not be possible unless those people wrote a book or became a TV star.  Now normal (?), ordinary, regular people can share their knowledge, experiences and pics, so the "world" can see. 
Well Alyssa Lichner is one of my favorite people right now.  http://www.pileofabric.com
For some reason the importer on Blogger is not uploaded my pics for this paticular BOM,  Please see my Flicker account http://www.flickr.com/photos/17474174@N05/ 
I have joined her group for BOM - Block of the Month, for those who are not quilters. She teaches a way to make a quilt using many different techniques and free motion quilting. And it is all free-"What a super woman".
Below are some of the great ideas and links at bottom, I have learned through social networking.    Enjoy!

Some sites I love  

http://found-stitched-dyed.blogspot.com/

http://shelaghfolgate.blogspot.com/

 

The future is here now!

 A BIG HI TO EVERYONE.

I am so excited.  Facebook is now hooked up with Skype and the other day as I was texting my daughter on facebook, who has a bachelor of Engineer from Toledo University, I hit a camera link on facebook and it opened a window and there was my daughter and my favorite grandson right before my eyes.  They live in Ann Arbor Michigan and I live in Toledo Ohio.  Boy it was so easy and it took us some time to get the voices but how much fun is that.  It is so exciting to be part of this tecnology.  Just think, to be able to see and hear our loved ones. 

I know this is has been around for awhile, but it was so easy to do with facebook.





What have I been doing?   This is my mother with her latest great granddaughter, Lilly.  She is 88 and is a wonderful person who has creatively handled all her challenges that life has given her.  I am so blessed to still have her in my life.  I have always felt and told my mother that I would not put them in a nursing home.  That has always been a big fear in her life to be left alone in a nursing home or to go to the "Poor House".  Well, after battling 5th stage Alzeheimer's, my sisters and I have had to make the "very hard" choice to place her into a home.  It has been a heart breaking 2 months.  She is adjusting,  She likes the food, I think she likes having a room mate, She is getting quality and loving care.  She is getting pysical therapy and keeping her mind and body active.  But I am so sad daily and so is she.  She has lost her home, her car, her freedom. 

The last 4 years have brought many challenges.  We took over her bills when they became to hard for her to handle, we worked with Office of Aging with nursing care and home health care. Meals on Wheels provide lunch.  We tried to get her to stop driving, I took her to dr. appts, grocery shopping and beauty shop.  Then I had to take over her medications and make her dinner daily and administer her pills.  It was taking a toll on all of us including the police, who she called weekly because I or my sister was stealing something that she couldn't find. 

 



We love family as you can see.  My older sister is in the back, along with cousins, aunt and uncles, brother in law and hubby.  I am so glad that we did our best to keep mom as independent as possible the last 4 years.  I wish she would of moved in with me, but she has been bull head and has always said NO.  So I am so thankful for the place she lives now and I pray daily for the wonderful workers who now know my mother too.  It is not perfect, but God has shown the way.  He loved her when she was born to an imperfect family, He loved her when her dad drowned while she was young, He loved her when she married my husband at 17 and through their long marriage and death, and He still loves her now.  God is faithful. 

Birthday Craft Party a big hit.

October 1, 2012 came and went.  That is my birthday and usually I hate celebrating birthday, but this time I decided to have several friends over and have a craft night and what fun we had.    Above is two friends who are craft handicapped.  But they found out they weren't.

Collect your supplies, gals.  "What, I got to pick something, I don't know what I am doing, What is this for?"  Well you get the idea. Confusion, arguing over items. "I wanted that"   No, I had it first"  Cackels,  that's what I called it.  Hen House at it's finest.  Well, after much wine and whine, we made our door wreaths for fall. 

As soon as we finished, my neighbor, who was upset I didn't invite her,  came stumbling over with her two girlfriends (they had their own party with hubbys)  to see what we were doing.  Of course I had to pull out my halloween mask to show them all. This next picture is R-rated.

Yes that's me.  As you can see why, my husband doesn't think this is funny.  Maybe because it looks better than his????????    Crazy Ass adventures,  Let's have more of them.  Fun was had by all, except my neighbor and her friends, which I will invite to the next one. 

Crazy Ass Adventure

My Birthday is coming up. October 1.  For those of you who know me, I hate celebrating my birthday.  Yes, I want you to remember me, maybe get me a handmade gift, but no party for me.  I really don't know why. I'm not afraid of growing old, I don't want to, but that's another story and I love parties. But  I guess I love giving parties but not being the center of the party. 

But this year I want to celebrate and have a Crazy Ass Adventure.  So I thought.  A Plane Trip to somewhere exotic.    An Elf house in Ireland?

A Trip to the West.  Arizonia, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah   ?

East to The Sea,  Maine, South Carolina, Florida? 

Or maybe right here in my own backyard?

With friends, family and grandkids?

 

With food, of course!

Something simple, Taco fixings. Or maybe something fancy like lobster tails.

Maybe a boat ride. 

 

 I had a hayride one year given to me by surprise by a good friend.  We had a great time with people from high school.  Or Maybe I should get a tatoo, (fake or real) like this friend?

Well, you can see I have given this some thought.  I guess I am leaning towards family, friends, grandkids, food, drink and a  hay boat ride right in my backyard.  I will let you know.

 

 

 

Ramblings by a Libra

Colors to push your artistic limits.  All the above pictures were taken off the interenet.  I am sorry that I can not give credit to the persons who took these photos,  But I posted them for the visual of my favorite color combination right now.  Orange and Blue.   In all it's shades, in any form, this colorization excites me.  Oh course, for those of you who know color, it is complimentary- Meaning it is opposite on the color wheel.  Excite yourself!

 

Today is dark, foggy and deary along with light rain.  A cold front has come in so a perfect day to celebrate the coming autumn. 

September is Sewing Month, and I am making a quilt for my 3 year old granddaughter, Adeline

 

 Here is her colors I picked out for her new bedroom.  Her favorite color is pink, pink, pink,  but she is not a girly girl.  She is rough and tumble and full of giggles.  I have been spying this print with woodland deer, bears, owls, raccoons, and foxes.  So I am going to attemp free hand machine embrodiered with those hand drawn animals on a white background in 8 inch squares and pinwheels.  I am making up the pattern as I go.  That is how I work,  It can be alittle frustration when it doesn't come together like I would like it, but I lay it out on the floor at night, usually the cats scramble the fabric during the night, and I wake up to a new shuffle that will give me new ideas.