Work Done Today

Wow , I have done some serious work in the sewing room today. Sadly it was not a sewing experience. I spent most of the day while I was home cleaning things up in there. You see, that is the only spare room and I will need to have room for a bed on the floor in there. My son and his girl will be staying there for Christmas. They don't mind that it is tight. Only before today they could not have gotten in there at all. I was down to a small path from the door to the chair. Now with just a few more min. of work we can get that bed blown up and ready for them.
Well, my mother is on my list this year, and all she asked for was a set of pans. Now she doesn't even cook anymore, so I thought they were kind of a ridiculous idea. However i was going to get them for her if possible. I tried to order them and they were sold out. So I have been to six or seven different stores that I thought might have them. No luck at all. So today I was shopping and praying about it. I strolled around yet another store, looking for inspiration. Suddenly I remembered the project I have planned for myself. I bought myself two sweat shirts and took the seams out and removed the band at the waist and neck. I have this idea how to quilt it up in french braids. Some how it isn't working out in my head though so I have not started them yet. Any way I bought mother two sweat shirts and I am going to quilt them up for her. I may only get one done before Sat. but i can do the other one next week . Kind of added to my list of things to do, huh? I may be an idiot, to think I can do it, but I sure am gonna try.
I went out this afternoon and met with the lady I am making quilts for, to let her have the one I finished weeks ago. I kind of needed the money and she gets to use it for Christmas. I got a call for another quilt too, so I have work on the way. Is that called an income??? I sure hope it is. I promised the lady today I would try and get her other quilt done by the first week of the year. I still need to get busy with the had quilting project and I have two crochet projects to get finished too. Kind of want to make some goodies for some others that I care about around here too. We will see. I did finish putting the patches on my sons knit hats that he brought me in the summer. Tomorrow I want to hem his t-shirts for him as well. That way I will have them done when he comes and he can take them home with him. Only problem is that is a stitch I have not used often on my serger so I am not sure I remember how to do it. I may end up having to go to the store and have them remind me. I need to get them done he has been so patient and not complained at all that I have had them for almost 9 months and he still doesn't have them back. He is a great son, and I am so happy to have him in my life.
I keep forgetting to tell you, I have joined the UFO challenge for 2011. I have chosen 10 quilt UFO's and numbered them 1-10. The leader of the challenge will then choose a random number each month from Jan. to Oct. That will be the quilt I will work on that month and complete it. That means I will have at least 10 quilts in my UFO box finished by the end of the year. With any luck and some extra time, it might even inspire me to finish some others quilts that I have not added to the list. I will have listed and numbered all of my UFO's by the end of next week. I am almost terrified to know what that number is. I need to not start any more quilts until I have completed the ones I have in progress. More on my goals for next year in another post.
Well, I am off for tonight. Yall have a very quilty day tomorrow.
Tennye

Working and Cooking

Well, I have made a very cute apron for a friend who is a waitress, I made some bags to mail to my daughter in Tennessee. I have been to the post office to mail  boxes two times this week and I really need to make another trip.  I helped my daughter make cookies last night, today I made four batches of Peanut Brittle. I have the quilt almost made, now I will have to quilt it. Then an income. I finished the dish rag I was crocheting for the class I am teaching next month. I still need to get the fabric and make the PJ pants for the sewing class in Jan. I have two quilting classes, one crochet, three sewing classes. Please pray they will fill up.
  I really need to get this thing behind me that keeps me from setting up an ETSY store. Why does fear keep getting in the way? I look at all the stores, there and I am at least as good as they are. I am better at what I do than some I see. My design for the coffee sleeve I make is better than any I see. They all are willing to give theirs away though and my time is worth more than others think theirs is. Am I just being snutty?
I am working on getting our scraps under control, and I am taking pictures so that when I get is all figured out I can show all of you how I did it. Sorry to say I didn't have time to make any photos of the bags I sent off to TN. I will take one of the apron though, before I wrap it. My camera battery is dead so I have to charge it first. Gonna need to have it ready for next weekend any way ,so now is a good time. Right!!!
Well, I am getting distracted with the movie the kids are watching I gotta go.
Have a very quilty day,
Tennye

Christmas Spirit

I am having a hard time finding my Christmas spirit this year. However today I got a call from my youngest daughter, the one in Tennessee. This will be her first year to not get to come home at all for Christmas. We had a lovely talk and I started to remember that if we don't get that box in the mail for her and her new boyfriend, it won't be there on time. So I went in search of the the stocking stuffers that I have been buying all year. Especially while I was on vacation. Of course her new special people were not in her life when I started buying, so there are not so many things for them. Funny I have a Barbie dress that I crochet for her when she was a child and never got the closure on it. I am getting it finished and sending it to his little girl. We actually have a pretty good sized box for her. While I was looking for the gifties I found my Christmas spirit. I could even see myself making some new stocking for the family next year. I may even make one for the new child in the family.
So I am still behind on the quilt I am working on. Not that she has any need for me to hurry. She is not waiting for it, she bought the fabric over a year ago. She has told me not to worry about getting it made.  I watched a Christmas movie this afternoon while I was working on it. I have been watching Christmas movies for a week or more. I love them and will miss them when the holidays are over. So tomorrow will be a day of running errands. I already have a list of things to be done.
The boss is wanting me to start a crocheting class in Jan. so I started a dish rag tonight. I have it about half done, and when it is ready I will take it to the store and let her put it up. I have not done much of it since I got the quilting bug. So I will get back to doing that for a while. Not to leave quilting behind I assure you. I love to design new quilts and hope to get those scraps under control for myself and all of you.
Well, off to bed for the night. Have a very quilty day tomorrow.
Tennye

Today as it is.

Well, I have had one of those days, you know the kind where you start out with the intention of doing a full day of work. You are ready to hit the sewing room bright and early. THEN it happens.... the phone rings, and you have to run an errand for hubby. You get home and realize you need to go do an errand you promised the kids you would do for them last night. So off you go to do that and while you are out you remember that new store is open and you really want to check it out. After all it is Christmas and you are no where near done with it. So you stop in and check it out. Back home and you need to start your day although you are late you still have hopes of it being a good work day. You look up at the clock and wow it is time to make lunch. Lunch is made you cleaned the kitchen and your ready to get busy, but go check email first. I had so many emails that when I finally got it all done it was 4 in the afternoon and I was frustrated. So did I got to the sewing room and get some work done???? No, I just gave up and played cards. Went out with my daughter for supper tonight, and when I got home, I sat down and watched a Christmas movie. Ahhhh such is life, you just have to take each day as it comes and if it doesn't turn out as you expect, well It's gonna be okay there is another day tomorrow.
Have a quilty day and I will be back soon.
Tennye

Happy Day

Well, just stopping by to say hello and I am so happy, today. My daddy is feeling much better and acting right. I had x-rays today and my elbow is not broken, so I don't have to worry about long term issues because I waited to long to see the Dr. Yea!!!!!!
I need to be in the sewing room but I must admit with my arm in so much pain the last week I have not gotten there. I decided today I would write and go there no matter what my arm is feeling like. I want those quilts gone asap so I sew. Pain will not stop me. Besides I have so much I want to do with you I don't want this to go on any longer. Next time we start the scarp project.
So have a scrappy quilty weekend.
Tennye

Christmas is a coming

Well, I do hope all of you had a wonderful weekend. I had a very busy one, going to the hospital, decorating the house, cleaning things up, and doing some laundry. Today I cleaned out the refrigerator from the Thanksgiving feasting. Now there is room for some goodies for the next event.
I still have not put up my village, we have a debate over where to put it this year. You see the cats like to use the half wall as a pass through on the way to my room. Then there is the idea that Cali likes to play with the people and sometimes we find them in strange parts of the house. LOL

Here is the small forest.

This is the entry table. 









I like the way it turned out, and I am so grateful to one of my husbands customers for the lovely Poinsettia. I have a little side story about this part of my house and my cats. See the door to the left of the table? That is our coat closet and this morning when my husband left for his first job, he opened it and grabbed his coat. He was only in there about 20 seconds or so. Later, I was doing some work in the kitchen and on the computer and Hydie my orange cat kept messing with that door and rattling it. I tried to get her to stop, but she wouldn't and I was busy so I just went on with what I was doing. Later i headed to my bedroom and Hydie was lying snuggled up to that door. I realized I had not seen Cali in a while. I opened the door and sure enough there she was. She wasn't even very interested in coming out. I had to laugh that Hydie was trying to get her out and I didn't realize what was going on.

This is the fireplace (DUH) and off to the left is the manger I told you about that I got for my first birthday from my grandmother. I haven't had time to finish cleaning up the boxes and getting things in order so I didn't take any more pictures.
I worked on the quilt I am making drawing lines on the diagonal to make large flying geese. I will do the sewing tomorrow, and if things go well I will have the top completed and ready to sandwich and quilt. I will be happy to have that one completed and off to its owner. Not only do I need the income, but I truly had planned for it to be completed over a week ago. With falling and my dad being in the hospital I am behind in so many things. My arm is still swollen and bruised, and some days hurts really bad. I am glad I can still work at all, and my dad got out of the hospital today. He has some real changes to make in how he lives, but he is home now and happy to be there.
So we will have some scrappy things to do soon. Have a very quilty day and I will talk to you soon.
Tennye

The Beginnings

 Well, our family started the magic of Christmas last night after my husband got home from work. He and my daughter pulled out the boxes and then we started right away putting things up. We got the first tree up and decorated, and the pole is decorated. Then we got out the nativity I got for my first birthday. That is just the very beginning of course, but at least the magic has begun. I am in the middle of a quilt that I should have gotten done last week or the week before. I was however in pain from my fall, and then just when I started getting over that , well , my dad did his thing. So my plan today is to get that as far as I can, however my husband has other plans for me. He is good at that.
So today I am going to get working on that lizard quilt, and with any luck get it cut and at least half sewn up. Then if I have any energy left over I will try to get the Christmas dishes changed out like hubby wants me to. Maybe someone will also decide to get another tree or two up and decorated. So needless to say I need to get off here and get busy.
So have a very quilty weekend.
Tennye

This Day

 Well, I have had a completely odd and somewhat hard week. A friend of mine from high school had a heart attack this week. I am eternally grateful that we had a high school reunion this summer. I spent about an hour just visiting with him that evening, and I have thought of nothing more this week. So grateful I had that time to reconnect with someone from my past who meant so much to me so long ago. We never dated and never wanted to, but we were good friends and lost touch over the years. So please take some time at the end of this year and in the new year to reconnect with old friends  Don't be saddened by the loss of opportunity to talk to an old friend.
My dad is still in the hospital and will most likely be there over the weekend. I stayed home today so i could work. I really need to get this next quilt completed and get the hand quilting project finished. I have not been able to work with my injuries from the fall before Thanksgiving, now this. I have very little time to work when I spend a couple of hours a day at the hospital and then mother and I go to lunch or dinner. I know you all have been through those times in life. I got frustrated today when I realized that part of the fabric had been washed and not the other part. Needless to say I had to take time out to do that before I could cut it out. Tomorrow it will be cut out and hopefully I'll start sewing.
So until I am beck have a very quilty time,
Tennye
Sorry for the less than up post the last few day.

New week

Hello to all of you. I wish I had something good to say, I have been doing ,since we last visited. I had a wonderful weekend with my Aunt and Uncle and cousins, then we came home very early Mon. morning. I cleaned up the kitchen after a nap and lunch, then I got busy working on the quilt I need to get finished. I had taken a break and planned to get on line and post here and check email... You know the things we end up doing on line. I got a call from my mom, she was in tears. My dad had been having, more trouble ,than usual breathing all day. He  was telling her he was probably gonna die and it was just fine with him. I closed up stuff on the computer and the house and went over there as soon as I could. I talked him into letting me take him to the hospital emergency room. All of this happened about 3:30 or so, and we got to the hospital about 4:30 PM. About 8 they told us they were going to keep him and it would be about an hour before they got him a room ready. He got into the room at just about 10. We stayed with him until he was all settled in and they had his vitals and such. Then I took mother home and I came home. I was so happy that my wonderful husband had a nice hot bath ready for me.
Today has been much better and my daddy is feeling better, although they are keeping him for at least another day. I tried all morning to finish up that quilt though and I spent so much time on the phone I could not get it done. All I really needed to finish it was about an hour. Try as I might I never had even 30 min. I will get back to it tomorrow before we go the the hospital.
While I was at my Aunts I saw some painted plates on the wall that my other Aunt painted for her. I had told you how grateful I was for the creativeness of my aunt so I took pictures of them to show you.

Here are some close ups.

I 

I took these pictures with lights on after dark, I didn't think they would come out at all and they kind of look interesting in the dark. I have lots of things in my house that she has painted for me. I learned to paint from her, however I found that fabric was my true passion. I love to manipulate the fabric more than I do the paints.
So until I have a chance to talk to you again, Have a very quilty week.
Tennye

Out and about and still Thankful

Well, I am visiting my Aunt and Uncle and all of her children live up here too, so I will see all of them as well. It has turned out to be a lovely cool day and the sun is shining. My hubby and I have been married for 29 years today, and even though I said in a general way I was thankful for my family, I am so gratreful to have met this man and had him in my life for about 35 years now. Yes, some days I think killing him is a better idea than living with him any longer, but what wife or husband doen't feel that way once in a while. LOL He is a wonderful man and has taken good care of me and our children over the years. I could not have found a better man to love if I had looked the world over. So I am thankful for my husband Charlie. I have coffee in bed and breakfast almost everyday that he makes.He only leaves me to fix my own breakfast when he has a job early. He has a fix it business that he works in the mornings and on weekends, and he is a full time employee of a major corp. as well. He had a son when we married and we had three lovely daughters, and then, my daughter that I put up for adoption, found us in 2005. Now we have five children and they are all loved by both of us. We also have two beautiful grand daughters .
So I hope you have a wonderful spouse too. Have a quilty weekend and I will be back on Mon.
Tennye

Thanksgiving Eve thankful

Well, I have to say I am thankful for the family I have, my hubby,and all five children I call mine. My parents, my home and the many friends I have in my life. I am grateful for facebook that I have been able to hook up with friends from high school and old churches that I would most likely never have gotten to hear from again.
My Aunt (my mom's sister) is the one who took care of me while my mom worked full time, and she did sewing for the public. I am grateful for her in my life. I think that sewing was her only outlet for her creativity when we were all young. She did however do some painting on the walls of her home. I know she drew portraits when she was younger, and then again after all the kids were grown and gone and the  ones she baby sat for over the years grew up too. She started to take classes and paint on plates, and cups, and then moved on to canvas. I have paintings she made for me and I have a lovely set of plates she made for my grandmother. For several years she did a series of Santa plates for each of her sisters and sisters-in-law, and mother and her children. When Grandmother died in 2002 she got the plates she made for her back, and then when her son died she also got his set back so last year she shared a set with me. I will post pictures of them when I get them out for Christmas.
I will most likely take the day off tomorrow from posting, but I will be back soon. I am going to Dallas for the weekend, leaving Friday afternoon. Until then you have a very happy thanksgiving and a very quilty time.
Tennye

Thank You!!

Well, the next group of people I want to say thank you to is you. Without readers my blog would be an on line journal. I know sometimes I repeat myself and sometime I even say I am going to do things that for what ever reason I never get the chance to do. Therefore  saying Thank you to each one of you readers is a very important part of my week of being thankful. To that end I will do my best not to say I am going to do something that I never get around to doing. I will even start in the next few weeks to finish doing the things I have told you I would do in the past. I will be re-reading my past blogs and doing each thing as quickly as I can after I find it.
I also want to thank each one of the blog writers whose blogs I follow. I enjoy reading so many of your blogs and the ideas you offer as well as the lovely photos, you share of the things you are making and the ideas you have. Your creativity is a blessing for me.
So thanks for hanging with me and coming back to visit. Now while I am making gingerbread I hope you will be having a very quilty day,
Tennye

More Thanks

I am so Thankful to have had a wonderful grandmother who taught me to crochet. My moms mother was Grandmother,  and I spent a lot of time with her all of my life. I even lived with her while I was going to college and working full time. We were great friends and she was a great encourager. She taught me to crochet when I was in 7th grade. I made my first baby afghan that year for a friend having her first baby. In the late 70's we got a pattern for a crocheted sweater and since none of us knitted we had never gotten to make sweaters. We took that pattern and we wore it out. Between her, my mom, my cousin and I we probably made 50 or more of those sweaters. My mom hates to crochet so the two or three sweaters she made were odd to see. I think my grandmother even sold some to friends of my Aunt and cousins. I have no idea where that pattern is and I doubt I could make another one now.
Such is the nature of being Thankful, we learn things and we grow together. I am so lucky to have had my Grandparents for most of my life. They both passed in 2002, about four months apart. Papa was 96, and Grandmother died on her 91st birthday. They were a part of my life that I will always be grateful for.
Until next time, have a very quilty day.
Tennye

Being Thankful

Well, we are just a short few days before the American Thanksgiving Day celebration. I decided that this would be the week I would try to start posting daily. In that I want to say what I am Thankful for, in my life. Maybe you would like to tell us what you are thankful for too.
You see, I have much to be thankful for, as I have a history of a Godly family. My great-grandmother who I called Granny was a strong woman, and a Godly one. She was always busy with some form of hand work. I have some things she made for me when I was a child, and some things that I was given as an adult from my own grandmother, that granny  made. This great-grandmother was my Papa's mother and she came to visit often. We also went to Alexandria, LA to visit her. Papa's sister, Aunt May lived there and Granny lived with her most of the time. She would go to California and stay with her son there for six weeks or six months, and then she would come to Texas and stay with Papa and grandmother for the same length of times. Always going home in between and staying for a while. She carried her work with her. I never saw her doing any quilting or embroidery, she mostly would do Crochet when she was here. I have a gorgeous embroidered block she made though and I cherish it. I have not put it in a quilt, and I am not sure what I will do with it, but I take care that it is always safe, until I figure out what to do with it. So my first thing of being thankful is that I have a great-grandmother memory. She loved me and I was 22 when she was taken home to be with her Lord and Savior.
Well, tomorrow Charlie and I are going to church and then in the afternoon we are going to take a drive in country with friends. I think the general idea is to go to a local winery along the way. I will try to post when we get home, and give you another thing I am thankful for. So until I see you again, have a most quilty day,
Tennye

Show is Over

Well, I am happy to say I survived the craft show and it is over. I am not sure I can say it was a success or not, but I didn't do worse than last year. I didn't do better than I did last year either. I again learned more this year than I did last year. I sold a completely different set of things last year than I did this year. I am beginning to wonder if I have any idea what people like. Things I think are cute or pretty, and useful, I make them and put them out there to sell and turn around and bring them home again. I made the cutest tree ornaments that I thought might be my best sellers. I have shown them to you before, my mom did some decorating on them.
I have added photos of several of the wall hangings I made for this show, and I think they turned out very nice. Here are the trees;

Chenille

Again I do not know how to turn this photo the right way. In my file it is turned the right way.

This is a table runner I have shown you before.

These lovely wall hangings were also a part of my inventory for this show. I have shown them before also.

This one is hard to get the whole thing in, but I am especially pleased with how it turned out. I didn't have a pattern to go by . I just tried to make what I had seen from one like it a friend made. Well, that was a good and a bad thing. I made it way too big and it is almost 5 ft. long, which seemed a little long to me. I heard many people say " That is beautiful" then just walk on, I guess no one wanted something that was beautiful LOL I am not taking it personal, I just find it odd that so many loved the way it looks, and didn't want it.

This little cutie went home with someone, so I guess they thought it was as cute as I did.







I don't know if you all have seen the lovely boots I made, but they sold very well. I have only the prototype left and I didn't like it so I was not surprised it was the only one left. I had other things that I made last year for the show and some of my coffee sleeves. I actually sold more of those this year than I did last year.
I think it is time for me to get serious about making a living, so that means I am going to do what it takes to get my ETSY.com store open this week, and get those patterns I have started completed and ready to sell. As I go forward with that I will also be doing a weekly posting about how we can all get those scraps under control and usable.
I want to take a min. here to say thank you to everyone who left me a message about getting our scraps under control, and other things recently. I also thank you for staying with me during these few weeks that I have been busy and ill. I hate to say I am still not well, I don't like being sick and this is killing me. I am excited about the next step in the journey. If anyone of you has encouragement or suggestions please leave me a message. Until I am back please have a very quilty time.
Tennye

New month

Well, welcome to November. I am still busy working on the things for the craft show, but today I got four wall hangings almost ready to be quilted, they are lovely trees and I look forward to getting them complete so I can take pictures and show them to you. I made one last year in browns and golds and it sold the first day of the show. I tried to make another one in golds tones, but I made some mistakes and one side is perfect and the other one is ....well lets just say not perfect. I have some ideas as to how I might use it anyway. The reality is I have 8 days at the best to make everything I am going to get made. Then three days of hard work and nervousness. Wondering if I am selling anything or if I made more stuff to have hang around for another year. LOL
On to other things, how have you been spending your time lately? Are you thinking about Christmas yet??? Will you be making things for friends and family for Christmas this year? I will be making gifts this year , but not like I have in the past. The family has decided to draw names and then everyone will add to the stockings. The limit will be 20$ for the gifts, and items for the stocking can not cost more than 10$. Now I have always had a limit of 5$ on what I buy for the stockings and I spend a lot on them. I have a friend who told me several years ago that she didn't do stockings because her children didn't like to have junk like you can put in a stocking. I was very offended, because I search for things that are useful and necessary or helpful. I admit we have a family tradition of playing cards being the best souvenir for each other when we travel and we give them in stockings. So my children have a lot of playing cards. This came in handy when we learned a card game a few years ago called Hand and Foot, that takes 6 decks of cards or one more deck than you have people playing, and it is best that you have an even number of people playing. We love the game and play it often, so ,many decks of cards, is a good thing. We are talking about taking a family vacation next year instead of giving gifts. It will be my 30th anniversary, and we always said we would take a cruise for that anniversary, so why not make it a family vacation. This way we have a year and a month or so to save our money so we can make it the best vacation ever.
Well, after this craft show is over we will get those scraps in order and start making small quilts and large ones, but mostly getting them under control. Making them into something we can use easily and readily and store in an orderly fashion. Until I have a chance to stop back in and write, yall have a very quilty time. Think about being thankful this month, and letting someone you are thankful for know how you feel.
Tennye

Post On Scraps and How To Control Them

Well, my last post was on scraps and wondering if any one remembers a past post of mine. I spent a good amount of time today looking for the post I was talking about, and you guessed it I didn't find it. I didn't take the time to look at every one of them, and I am sure I would find it if I did. Question is does any one have any interest in my methods  or how I use them, or am I just on my own with this one. I will start posting photos of the things I make using the pre cut fabrics. Maybe then some of you will see how efficient it is and how much help it can be to controlling your stash.
I went shopping with my mom this afternoon for things to decorate the chenille trees. She is working on them for me since I am working to get more wall hangings done. Why is it the little stuff that seems to take so little time, really ends up taking more than you think it will.
I made a"welcome" wall hanging yesterday, and I just made it up as I was going along. Problem is it turned out too long. I figured maybe 16x30 or some where around that size would be good , some how I ended up with 16x59 or 70 I am not sure, I still need to add a piece to it yet and it is too long. I think it is nice, and so have all the others who I have shown it to, but I wonder if it is too long for any one to want it. I will take that into consideration as I work on the next two that I have embroidered the letters for. I did have a lovely fabric to use at the bottom that may have been why it is too long, then again it could be I needed to put sashing in it and I need to leave it out next time.
I will add pictures later when I have them all three complete.
Have a wonderfully quilty day.
Tennye

Does any one remember?

Hi there ladies and gentlemen, I have been reading blogs and looking around, at things. It caused me to wonder, if any one remembers reading the blogs I did on scraps and how to control them? I have been making a lot of scraps while working on all these projects. I made a lot of them last year too, then I had a major project that I went straight into after the craft show, so I just kind of boxed them up and put them away. I have a similar issue this year, with the next set of quilts to finish. I have the hand quilting project to complete and then I also have two other quilts I will need to finish. I took a commission a week or so ago that is to complete a quilt she started and then make one from the fabrics she picked out and then realized she just wasn't gonna make it.
Anyway back to the scraps, I have the boxes that I have cut up in sets of 2", 3 1/2 ", 5", and any strip that is one inch or wider. Then I have them pre-cut ready to use for quilts. I tried to do 7" as well, but don't have a box that will hold them so decided not to. I showed you the Dresden plates that I was making a couple of months ago. Well I used the 3 1/2" squares to make two petals of the plates, so I am still finding new things to do with my scraps. What are you doing with your scraps and are you controlling yours in a particular way? If so why don't you write a guest blog for me and teach us a new way to control our scraps. I am not sure how I will post it, but we can figure that out.
Well, have a quilty day and I will talk to you again soon.
Tennye

Still Here and working hard

Well, I am sorry for being so long getting back on and updating. I have learned some things and made a lot of nice things. I may  not have made enough things but I have sure been busy. So just to keep my reputation I shall add some photos today, well tonight. I have tried all day to get on here and do this but for what ever reason I am just now getting to it.
Hubby just went to bed and my girls are out strolling thru Austin on a walking ghost tour of downtown Austin, TX. They went with a friend who has been before, but was looking forward to the special one they do during the month of Oct. Apparently they have places they go only during the witching month. I personally do not believe in celebrating Halloween, but my girls enjoy carving pumpkins and so for the last few years they have had a party to carve them. I have pictures of that as well. So lets get things started.
Here are the first pictures of the things I have been making this week.

Well, try as I might this will not go bact to being upright and I have changed it in my files as well. Sorry!!

This is the back of the table runner I made, so now for the front of it.

This is one I kind of made it up, I saw one I really liked and I didn't really want to pay for it so I just decided to make one up. Well, it worked okay except that I didn't have as much fabric as I needed so one end it different from the other. I didn't show the bad end, LOL.

Well, I am a little disappointed that I have only three things to show you. I worked so hard this week, and I put in 10 or 12 hours a day, so why is it I only have three things to show. I made many more things but they are small. I had fun using my embroidery machine though to make this one.



Okay so this is the only one I am going to add, of the fun Pumpkin Carving party from this year.

Well, I have missed all of you so much while I have been so busy and out of town, so I will try to make a bigger effort this week to get on and post, even while I am working. So please enjoy your week and have a very quilty week.
Tennye

Home Again

Hello, friends I have had such a wonderful weekend off. My family and I all packed up and went to Port Aransas on Padre Island last Thursday. We had  such a good time. The water was clear and just the right temp. and the sun was bright and hot. I have a nice little burn to prove that last one. I used a sun block, but I think it may have been that it washed off while I was playing in the Gulf. We met some friends there and enjoyed visiting with them.
Now I am back to work on my craft show. I have four weeks to get everything made that I need to. We had our last meeting last night for the show and I am both excited and scared.
I got the loveliest email when I got home from Mimi the winner of our give away last month. She is pretty excited about her gift and that made my day.
I will have some photos of the coast to show you later. I have not taken the time to put them on the computer. I must say getting caught up on my emails took more of my day than I would have thought. I had well over 200 emails in the three addresses that I have, plus Face book and I still haven't checked my Twitter. 
So I am off to the sewing room again to get back to work on my latest crafts I have been working on today.
Do have a lovely quilty day and I will talk to you again soon.
Tennye

Lazy Sunday

I have been sitting in my bed most of the day watching movies on TV, and looking around at other blogs that I read regularly and some I have never seen before. I spent a good bit of time checking out the different blogs that are doing the Christmas quilt along. Things are going very nicely for them, as they quilt along together, and post the pictures of their progress. I am doing some quilting for Christmas myself on a regular basis, however did not choose to join the group. I have so many things going on that I didn't think I could meet with them on a regular basis. I am happy for each of them and the progress they are making.
I don't have any pictures to post today, but thought I would take a min. to say well done to any of them that might stop by and visit my blog.
Those of you who are regulars, I will be taking a vacation this week, and I may not have a chance to write. Then when I get home I will be hitting it hard to get the last of my craft show things made, and ready to put out for sale. I will most likely take some of them with me that are the finishing things, I have to do by hand. So until I get to write again, yall have a quilty time,
Tennye

Another UFO Complete

Well, I don't have much time to write, but wanted to say a big thanks to all who posted on the blog for the contest. I always enjoy everyone's comments, all the time. I completed a quit that I have been working on for over a year. Well it has been in process, I have not picked it up in over a year. I like it, but am a little disappointed that it is not exactly even. Looks pretty good though, and I guess it will do.

Well, some day I will get better at taking photos that look good, in the mean time I guess you just get what I can do. Sorry.
Have a very quilty weekend,

Tennye

Heros

We, all have heroes from all areas of our lives and they influence us in different ways. I have lots of heroes in my life and I am sure you do to. Some of the biblical heroes I have are Abraham, and Paul. Can you imagine the faith it took for Abraham to just pack his stuff and move, because God said to, and then he also said Oh, bye the way I will tell you where to go and when you get there, so just go. I think about my life and my quilting and wonder if I could do that. Then there is Paul and he was beaten, stoned, ship wrecked, and imprisoned and he still made the choice to tell the people around him the gospel. Wow!!!
Then I have emotional heroes, the wife of my pastor, is the happiest person alive, I think. She has never had a bad thing to say to me about anyone, she smiles even when things are bad. She always has a good word for every one, and she almost never forgets a birthday, or anniversary. She is one of my heroes.
Well, in our quilting we all have heroes too. I don't mean just the names we see on the book covers and the TV shows, I mean the quilters in your past who may be the reason you are a quilter. I have a few heroes like that too. My Great Grandmother, is one of them, she quilted, crocheted, and embroidered, and she was meticulous in the work she did. I am not sure where my favorite quilt is, but as soon as I find it I will take some pictures and show you the first quilt that was the seed to my quilting. Then there are my mother and my grandmother as well. Now I never saw any of these family members quilt, in my life, I did however sleep under some quilts they made all of my life. Then, when I was a young mother of three little girls, I met this wonderful lady at Bible study. She came to do a show and tell and tell us about quilting and how to. Well, little did she know that she was igniting the spark that had lain dormant in my creative nature for who knows how long. I had one piece of paper with me that day and it was printed with the words to the song we were going to sing later in the presentation. I still have it somewhere and there is not a single spot on that paper that is not printed on, that I didn't use to take notes. Mind you this was a one hour talk, and it was the basis of my beginning quilting. I lost touch with this woman for several years, then one day I went to the Austin Quilt guilds show, and one of the quilts on display was made by the lady who kicked off my quilting career. She had an award and it was a truly lovely quilt. So needless to say she is one of my heroes in life.
Well, I told you I would post a photo of my latest quilt when I got the chance to and here it is, with some insets .

 

Well, as always, have a very quilty week and I will talk to you soon,
Tennye

And The Winner Is

And the winner to our birthday give away is Mimi, and I will be emailing her today to make sure I have an address so I can mail her the package that is our give away. Sorry I didn't get here yesterday life just got too busy and I realized it was midnight and I just had to get to bed.
I am so excited for Mimi and look forward to hearing from her to let us know how she has used her fabrics and how much fun she is having with the Dresden plate pieces.
So for this time I will let Mimi bask in her win.
Have a quilty morning,
Tennye

Trying out a new look

Well, it seems somewhat at climatic after being so excited about the give away and now here we are two days later and what is next. Oh, hey wait I didn't announce who the winner was yet. Well, that has turned out to be a little more complicated than I though it would be. I should have the name sometime tomorrow. In the mean time I have had someone tell me that I have a response portion blocked.  Sadly I have spent most of the day looking for the blocked item and can not find any place to change the problem. Until I can figure it all out please leave me a comment if you want to ask me something and I will try to email you or reply in the comments.
I do not have Outlook set up on my computer as it was the reason I ended up with many computer problems on my first two computers. I use email completely on line and never have it come into my laptop. I am working on a solution for that now, since I plan to start adding some content to the blog that would most likely have some asking questions. Too bad Google doesn't offer a class on setting up and maintaining a blog through blogspot. LOL Well, they do give lots of help with setting up your blog, I actually feel like it was much easier than I thought it would be. My children can't believe I was able to do this whole thing without them helping me. They are still in wonder that I continue and ask no questions of them. I can not believe these are the same children I home schooled from K-12 and they learned enough to go to college and get jobs that pay them more than I have ever considered making myself. Gotta love them.
I am working on a new quilt I should have it completed by the end of the evening, I will post a picture of it tomorrow and let you all know who our winner is.
Have a quilty day,
Tennye

Please Comment today

Well, this is the day of the give a way, so if you have not commented to be included in the give a way. Then now is the time for you to go comment. I will go through the comments and have a winner by the end of the week. Then I will mail out your gifts that day and post it here on the blog. Today is the last day I will take comments for this give away.
Have a quilty day,
Tennye

Last pre-give away post

Hey ladies and gentlemen I have had a long day. We had a lovely Champagne brunch this morning and I thought I would just add some photos that I didn't post from the quilt show last weekend.

So here are some very interesting ones.

I love the Art quilts and these two seem to have some kind of connection in that they are both people yet this red one is a sad commentary on reality.

Once again this photo is on its side and there dose not seem to be any way to rotate it back to what it should be. It is lovely though isn't it. Did you know that Texas is known for its monarch butterflies? I just recently ( in the last few years ) found that out. They are so pretty and I have always love them.
Well, I am going to go off and watch the movie my family is watching. I do hope you have had a lovely quilty weekend.
Tomorrow is the day, so please post.
Tennye

Stay with me

Well, we have two more days until the official give a way day. I am so excited and looking forward to it all. I have been super busy this week, with my husbands birthday being Wed. We have this thing , the last few years with birthdays. For what ever reason the birthday lasts for a week at least. We all met at the local Applebees Wed. night when he got off work and enjoyed Karaoke. Then Fri. night one of our girls bought us tickets to go see a Texas country band we happen to like. Then tonight we went to Applebees for super and the manager bought us our meal. In the morning we are having a Champagne brunch with friends and family.
Then next week we start all over again with our daughter and her Oct. 4th birthday. She has asked for a party here at the house and so today they started inviting everyone. I think they said so far they have invited 130 or so people. I told them they better pray for good weather, our house is not big enough for that many people.
Well, I will talk to you all on Mon. be sure to comment if you want to be in the give away.
Have a quilty weekend,
Tennye

Got giveaway

Well, as I promised earlier today here are some photos of the items I am offering on the 27th of this month as a give away. Please be sure to remember to come by that day and post a comment telling me what you like about my blog, and what you might like for me to add.
I am using the birthday of my oldest child as my date, since I missed the anniversary of my starting my blog. This is a busy birthday month for our family. My husbands birthday is today, and his niece was born on his birthday. It is also one of my Aunts, one of my Uncles, and two of my cousins birthdays and my cousin's son. You get to celebrate with me.
So lets get a glimpse of the items on the table for my giveaway.

This is an overall picture without the Dresden plate pieces. As you can see there are a lot of things. So lets break it down into bite size pieces.











These are some yummy fat quarters I hope you will have fun using. I want to keep them myself they are so yummy.






Next,

This is a great little book I was given two of, why keep both when I can share.

I received one of these with my magazine subscription. I also had someone give me several more of them. I enjoyed it so why not share.

You may notice this wall quilt is similar to the one on my header. That is because this is the mag. I got the pattern from and I have since adapted this pattern and made several different quilts with the same idea. I have one that is a Christmas quilt of satins, velvets, and poinsettias .

Again, these were gifted to me and I haven't tried it yet, but look forward to giving one of my hand quilted quilts a good cleaning with one of these.
I admit I have not checked with the post office so I am not sure you will get all three of these, but if at all possible that is my plan.

This nosey little girl kept getting in front of me while I was trying to make these photos.

Then last but not least a shot of the quilt I am working on. This is the hand quilting project that I am really so behind in getting finished.
So I hope you are having a really fun quilty day.
Tennye

Give Away Coming

Well, I have gotten some really fun things to add to the give  away. I have single use quilt soaks, and a book on quilted post cards. These will be added to the pre-cut Dresden plate pieces with directions. The list is growing and I will post photos later today of these new items.
I have not told my daughter that she is the inspiration for the date of the give away. They are stationed on an Army Fort in El Paso, Texas and this week there was a shooting on their fort. One of our other daughters has a friend in the Army and we all have another friend in the Air Force so we hear about these things even if they never make it to the news. We got emails and text from three different ones about the shooting and then we couldn't get any the family on the phone to find out if they were okay. Turns out my son in law was in the store on post just a few min. before the shooting. So happy he is safe, and sending prayers for the families who lost a loved one.
Talk to you all later,
Have a quilty day,
Tennye

Sunday Post

Just hanging out waiting for lunch to get done and checking out some blogs I read when I have time. I am getting inspired to get into the sewing room on this cool Sun. afternoon and make some blocks I have wanted to make. One of the ladies on one of the Yahoo groups I am on lost her home to fire a couple of weeks ago and we are all making blocks for her and one of the girls is going to turn it into a quilt. I was still thinking how I might be able to help her when someone else started the requests for blocks. I wonder why I am always behind. I think that in the last few months of the year I will make it my goal to no longer be or feel like I could do more. Instead i will do more.
I signed up for the craft show I went to yesterday. I think they could use some more home crafted things , however I talked to  one of the ladies and she was saying that the traffic to the show was slow and it might not be a good one to get into.  We'll see what comes of it.
Then there are the Sarah's Wedding Quilt blocks I said would be starting this month. I sew on Sunday, but I try to make it a habit not to work on any project that is for pay. I need to be able to get back into the sewing room and until this hand quilting project is done I can't. I lost a day on Fri. because I just didn't think it would be a good idea to take it to the hospital I did however get some of my small craft items done while I waited. I will make pictures of them soon and show you what I am still working on.
Well, gonna go steam the green beans and finish lunch. You be sure to have a quilty day.
Tennye

What a Day

Well, my girls and I were planning to go to a craft show this morning after breakfast, and we invited my cousin to go with us and her sons girlfriend. So we all went together. it was a nice show, but not really a all homemade craft show. They had lots of home party ladies, such as Tupperware, Syntsey , and homemade gourmet. There were some really good jewelry ladies though and the girls really like their stuff. So while we were eating breakfast my cousin asked if we knew the quilt show in Austin was today and tomorrow. I said yes, but didn't think anyone would want to go with me. Well, I must have been mistaken, because the all wanted to go and they even called another friend to go with.
We had a great time and here are some of the photos I took

This is just one I really thought was pretty.

I liked this one for its great perspective. first you see the box, then it is a big box with a little one, then wait no it is a box in a room, then again it looks like a box with a cut out. Go figure which is it really???

I am a Texan to the core and I love this one of Bluebonnets. One of the shops had this pattern, it was all I could do to keep from buying it. I just have too much to do and I usually design most of my own patterns.

The following must have been a challenge or something because they are obviously the same basic pattern. I really enjoyed them and think I would love to make one this way, if I had the time. I think this is not one of those easy patterns.

Well, that is the last one of those. I love them and I am sure they are from the Giant Dahlia pattern. I have tried that one, and I must say it is a difficult pattern. I do love the interpretations they have presented though.
Well, I have many more photos, but I think I will save them for another day this week. I do hope you have had a very quilty weekend , I know I sure have.
Tennye

Long Busy Week

Well, I am sorry to say I have been so busy this week I have not had time to write. Then to top every thing off today I spent most of the day in the ER with my mother, waiting for my Dad. You see Daddy went to the Dr. this morning on his way to therapy for a blood oxygen test. Apparently he had been dizzy for a couple of days and when he told them that at the Dr.s office they told him he had to go to the ER.Fortunately it was in the same building so he just had to go down stairs. Long story short he has vertigo or something worse. He has to see a neurologist Mon. at the latest. When they got home mother was able to make an appointment for him on Mon.  
I have been quilting all week and still should be, but I kind of feel like today was such a bust I decided to tell you all my good news and update you on things. Today is the 17th, which is just ten days before my give a way. I should have another thing that is going in the give away to show you , but I have been so busy I have not had time to get it rounded up. So I thought I would show you some things I have been working  on. This is a quilt I am making for my youngest daughter for Christmas. I am using the fun Dresden plate Christmas fabrics as alternate blocks for a pre-printed fabric.

These are the Christmas fabrics, I sewed them together and then I auditioned them on a back ground fabric. I loved the result on the first try.










I love the blue, but I love even more the way the blue and the Dresden look with the pre-printed fabrics.

This is the largest piece and I will put it in the center and use the Dresdens and other prints to go around it. I have not decided what I will use as a sashing to make it all fit together.

I am not going to show you all the panels
I just don't think it is important to show them all. This is one of my favorite small panels. When I get it all put together I will show you how fun and lovely it will be.

 Then another one of my craft show items is this cute high heel ornament. I showed you earlier in my chenille tutorial the Christmas tree ornament and in the future I will be making some other things and maybe make some high heels in different colors. I want to make some dog bones, and maybe, just maybe I will make an angel.



Then I have saved my absolutely biggest most exciting news. I can't even believe that one of my biggest goals and desires for my sewing and crafting  fun and business has been to have an embroidery module to go with my sewing machine. By some wonder from God the best deal I have ever , or never thought would happen has come to pass. I can not tell the details , but for an unbelievable price I have been able to attain one. It is brand new still in the box it came from the factory in. It is mine and I am more excited than I can ever tell. Needless to say one of the things I am giving away will be something I have embroidered for you. I also have until Oct. 31st to get the software for about 600$ off its normal price. This is a sale and anyone who wants the Bernina Embroidery software can get it on sale for this price. My biggest problem is that I need a new laptop in order to have enough memory for the software. So I still need a good 2000$ to finish it all off. I can put the software on layaway, but have to figure out the Laptop issue too.
Now I know myself well enough to know that if I had brought this home in the middle of the week, that would have been the only thing I got done all week. I needed not to stop on my hand quilting project, so I took my machine in for a cleaning and left it with my BSR to be updated. Tomorrow I will go get it and get started playing.
Well, I am going to a craft show and to a class at the store tomorrow. Yall have a very quilty weekend.
Tennye

I Have

Well, I have pictures and I have lots to say, but what I don't have is time to do it. Please don't give up on me I will be back in a day or two. I have so much to show you and to  tell you. I am excited and bless.
Have a quilty day,
Tennye

Things

Well, I hope you all had a lovely long weekend , well at least those of you who live in the US at least. I wish I could say mine was lovely and productive, however it was not. I got nothing done that I wanted to , and I didn't really have a fun time. I did have a good day on Sat. running errands with my girls, and having brunch with them first.
I really meant to spend the day quilting today, but I started the day helping my parents with their computer. Then we came back to my house and I helped my hubby finish up lunch. We had a good lunch and then watched movies the rest of the day. Did I think to go get the quilt, NO I did not. I did however spend some time on the computer. Not really doing anything I needed to, but I spent a couple of hours reading some blogs I have not read in a long time. That was kind of fun, and made me want to get my stuff going now and not wait. Why do I wait? I think I may be afraid of failure. I want to be the customer service person I would expect to do business with. Only problem is I have some problems with procrastination in some areas. Not all areas, just a few and those can be a big deal for a customer. Hey, that is one of the reasons I am doing the give a way on the 27th of this month. I want to prove to myself I can do what I say I will and get to the post office the day I intend to.
I am having such a fun time with the Dresden Plate ruler that I bought, so I decided to add some of the pre-cut pieces. So here  are some pictures.

Well, as you can see these pictures are of some completed plates, the ruler I am using and some Christmas ones that are ready to put into plates. Then in the mix not where I put it, you find one of my newest Christmas tree ornaments. I will make it in two lengths, and add a ice skate runner too. So yes the week has been less productive than I wanted but not a complete wash.
I will be adding enough pre-cut Dresden plate pieces to make two plates, and I will print up a page of instructions so the winner will be able to make them up for themselves. I would make them for you but they are so fun to see come together that I want you to have the pleasure of doing it yourself.
The Christmas fabric ones are going to be odd blocks on a quilt I am making of some cute printed fabric.I will take a picture of the panel and post it soon. My daughter loves penguins and this is a Christmas panel with Penguins. The panel has one main square and four smaller ones, and they are not in a size big enough to make any thing other than a wall quilt. I want to make her a sofa size quilt, so I thought it would be fun to add them on a plain back ground.  On the bright side I did not buy any new fabric to make the Dresden plates. I found all the Christmas fabrics in my pre-cut fabric stash.
Well, I need to go for tonight, yall have a quilty week.
Tennye