As Usual I Have to Ask Where Has the Time Gone???

  I started this year with big ideas and lots of ambition. That has translated to my being kind of busy. I am spending lots of time doing some research on the money and dolls that I want to sell. You would think that since I have had them most of my life and watched my Grandmother, and parents and even my great grandmother collecting and going thru coins and putting them in books and..... that I would have acquired some knowledge. Sadly if I had any I have forgotten it or it has become obsolete over the years. I even have some paper money that is supposed to be worth so much, and I can't find any of it on the Internet for sale. As for the dolls, well I never really knew anything about them and some have lost a portion of their value because in the 70's they told my grandmother it would make them more valuable if she had new bodies and clothes put on them. It has turned out that is not so much the case, those leather bodies make the doll worth much more. One bisque doll was 80 years old in the 70's, so is well over 100 years old. Having the leather body removed and replaced with cotton makes people think she is a replica instead of the real thing.
  Okay enough of that, I have been either walking or recently dancing four or five days a week, that takes more out of my day than I thought it would. I am also cleaning out my home. Stuff is going out weekly, that has been just stored for years. Having done all we did at my parents house after daddy died, has inspired me. I don't want my family to have that to deal with, the collections make the clean out harder, but it will get done. I have been going thru my sewing room too. I have a list of projects that I need to complete and the ones my family have asked for. The new grandson that is on the way means a new baby quilt too. The oldest grand daughter is graduating so what will I make for her??? Yes her mom wants me to make the quilt for her to take to college, but there has to bee something from me too.
  As previously discussed, there is also the desire to find some amazing thing I can make that will sell like hot cakes the minute I post the first one.
  Well, I need to go for now, but I hope I won't be off line here as long this time. So until next time yall have a very quilty week.

Happy New Year, Wonder What 2014 Will Bring

 I always think the new year gives us a clean slate to start new. I have not gotten such a good start on this one. On the other hand I get pretty excited when I think about what  this year can be. I can lose weight, get healthy and truly complete some of the things I have started and put off. I have gotten a good start, with just moving my body more. I am walking and dancing to start with the health, and I am here blogging as well. I have already completed my grand daughters Beanie Slouch hats for her birthday. I made 2 for the younger one and now I have made 2 for the older one and as a bonus I made one for my daughter too. Now I have done a few headbands that I think are cute. I have not crocheted in many years and I kind of enjoyed it.
  I seem to be finding it hard to get back to the sewing machine, even though I have a lot of things I want to make and need to make. I find myself in need of an income, and for what ever reason I think crafting would be a good source of regular income. However finding a product that will sell is a completely different thing. I have ideas and I need to follow through on them, but if you have followed me for a while you know follow through is not my strongest character. I also have some things I could sell, if I could figure our how much they are worth and who might be most willing to buy them. My grand mother collected dolls for all of my life until she passed away. Those were supposed to be an inheritance for me.

Well, now I need them and don't really know any thing about them. My dad collected coins and money for the same reason. Now I need it and know very little about it except that most coin shops will cheat you if you go in now knowing what you have or how much it is worth. I tried to sell a coin several years ago, and I had an idea it was worth a nice amount and the guy said it was only worth about a dollar or two. I knew better than that, so I left and took my coin with me. I am trying to do research on line and have even gone to the library to read some books. I feel like I am swimming in a sea of numbers that don't mean any thing.I will keep researching.
  Well, I need to get busy and I have books I need to return to the library today, so I'm going to go do that. So until the next time I have a few minutes yall have a very quilty week.
Tennye

Where did the last two months go?

  Well, if you have checked in lately you will know I have been off line. I wish I could say I have gotten tuns of stuff done, but to be honest a good part of that time I was trying not to walk much and just not doing much. I did a 5K with my girls in early Nov. and for the silliest reason of all I wore the wrong shoes and came home with two huge blisters one on each foot. I a pretty sure I will lose at least one toe nail and maybe two. I have learned some great exercises for my feet and they don't hurt as often as they have most of my life. But this has been a painful time. UGH One of the blisters is gone and all the skin has come off, but still it kind of burns when I walk or stand for long. I am not letting that keep me down I got back on the road last week and actually made it four days. I'm back up to 1.16 mile and that is pretty good since I am just back four days. LOL
  I can say I finished one quilt, and have one that if I can I will finish it either Fri. or early next week. I made four so far beanie slouch hats for two of my grand daughters and I am working on another one for my daughter. We got a work bench for our new to be son in law and it came in the some assembly required form. We got that all built yesterday, and we found a pair of short bar stools for one of our daughters in someones trash. We took them all apart and repainted them and took the seat cushions off and I reupholstered them with fabric I had for her curtains in her living room . Curtains that I also got made during the time I have been off line. I also have completed mothers whole house in curtains and pillows. She got 4 lumbar pillows and I made them to match the guest bedroom and the master bedroom. I guess maybe I haven't just been sitting around after all. It just feels like it.
I have pictures on my phone, but I am having problems figuring out how to get them onto the blog. I haven't taken much time trying to figure it out lately. I did spend a few min.s last month, but not lately.
  We have started our Christmas cooking, and I really need to get more done so I guess I need to get off here. Yall have a very Merry Christmas and a quilty new year.
Tennye

Google Changes and Kit Crazy

  Just a short rant, about Google and the changes they have made recently. I don't use the email associated with this blog for email other than for the blog. I do however have a gmail account I use for email. Now Google makes me connect them to each other. For what ever reason when I clicked to sign on to my blog it automatically went to my other email and I had to figure out how to log in so I could post. Frustration!!!!
  Okay I will leave it along, I just needed to vent. I have bought 2 kits this weekend and I already have another one I got for a very reasonable price. I got to looking at the latest one and I could not have bought the fabric for the quilt for the price I paid for the kit. So pattern, fabric and backing for the cost of some patterns. Color me excited.  I will post pictures along with progress in the next few days.
  My niece had her baby girl early on the morning of the first. They live in Pennsylvania so we have only seen pictures, but she is a beauty. I know her mommy and big brother and sister are excited that she is here. I bought a lovely breast cancer awareness fleece that is white with the pink ribbons. I will embroider her name and birth info then either use a satin blanket binding or just use the serger and finish the edges. The fabric is so pretty, and I know it isn't baby fabric, but the pink is the color her room is decorated in. Maybe they won't think it is a bad choice.
  Update on the 3 UFO challenge, I have the wall hanging almost completely quilted, and I'm working on the hand quilting as often as I feel the urge. As soon as the wall hanging is finished I will get right on to the baby quilt. I am so excited about these 3 getting finished. Well, until next time yall have a very quilty week.
Tennye

Always Anotheer Day

   Well, I just hate it when my day doesn't turn out the way I though it would. Even worse when it is that way more than one day in a week. This week has been that kind of week. I am glad that is hasn't made me crazy, but I wish I was on a better track for completing the UFO challenge and, you know, other things I want to do.
  Last week I found out my first cousins daughter who is 35 has breast cancer. I am hopeful for her, and very glad that she didn't ignore the lump she found on her breast by accident. Through this we are hearing that more and more often cancer is being found in younger women. Not just breast cancer, but cervical and all of the reproductive parts. We aren't being told what they think is causing it, just that is is happening. I know that just a short 3 years ago my daughter was diagnosed with HPV, and after she was treated they did a final pap and it was abnormal. We went through a lot of emotions during that 3 years, but what she went through was more. She got angry, and she decided to fight for her health. She started working out 5 or 6 days a week, and lost over 75 lbs.  She is much healthier and the last pap was clear. After her bad one she went every 6 months for a year and a half. With 3 clear paps she is free to go back to yearly or bi-yearly tests. We get to breath free again, but how many families are still suffering. My heart and prayers go out to those going through it all.
  All of that was to say I have a quilt I want to complete for her while she is taking chemo. I have heard much about how cold they get during the treatments, and I would hate for her to not have a home made quilt to keep her warm , from someone who lovers her very much. 
   On a brighter note, my son got a day off and came to town for the day. He took his dad and I to lunch and we are all planning to get together for dinner. Then he will have to drive back to Houston so he can go to work again tomorrow. He is getting his latest tattoo touched up in the mean time. Guess I will try and get some sewing done while i wait. Until next time yall have a very quilty week.
Tennye

Woo Hoo Great week

 Well, finally things are starting to look like normal again after, what, a year now. Then getting sick two weeks ago didn't help. LOL The end of this week though things in my head started feeling better and along with them I got some motivation to get moving and get sewing.
  I am happy to say I layered my grand daughters wall hanging so it is ready for some time at the machine. Then I got the quilt out that I am hand quilting and I have put a couple of hours into it already. The weather has been nice out side, but that means it is kind of hot in the house. The A/C won't come on and why turn it on if we really don't need it. However that makes it hot enough that getting under a quilt is not as appealing as it would be if it was cooler. The weather man keeps promising us cool fronts, but so far they have not given us cold, just cool.

  I have been out for a while, so let me tell you I had a wonderful time in Chattanooga in Sept. We played hard and we enjoyed our grandchildren. We got to go to a soccer game and just plain hang out with them

 At the Aquarium, there is a tropical butterfly enclosure on the top floor of one building.

It was so cool when one landed on my son in laws shirt.








Hubby and granddaughter had funn playing in the shark cage. 

We got to see three families of penguins with babies. The daddy's had been taken out for the day to get some exercise and food. They were going crazy trying to get back to their babies. 
  I have some great pictures of the creatures we saw and of other things we did, but the site isn't letting me add them the way I want to. So until next time yall have a very quilty week.
Tennye

UFO Challenge for the End of the Year

  Well, I have several things I would like to say ,so I will start with the title one. One of the Yahoo groups I am in has started a UFO Challenge for the end of the year. Three projects between now and Dec. 31,2013. I have chosen the wall hanging I started for my granddaughters birthday last Dec., a baby quilt I started almost 3 years ago and a hand quilting project I should have finished 4 years ago. I get started on it and some major world changing problem hits my family. I think that is all over now and I will be able to finish it quickly now. I am believing that.
  The next thing I need to talk about is the fact that I got an email from someone saying that I have 24 followers on some free.... website. I have not given any one or any websites my permission to publish my blog. So if you happen to be reading this on any site other than my blogspot, I would appreciate if you would come over and post a comment for me. I am not sure how I will take care of it, but I will start with complaining to Google for allowing someone other than me to forward it to some other website. I have read about this one another blog and I thought I did what she recommended, but maybe I haven't.
  I have been MIA for a long time, I am sorry for that, but family life has been stressful and busy for so many months now. My mom and daughter are still living in their homes without them being completely finished. We ,just this week, have gotten the moisture barrier under both of the room additions. That means the underpinning can be completed under those rooms now. Once that is done we will be clear for a few months at least. We still have to finish out the insides of those rooms, but will have time to do that as we can afford it. So excited to see the light at the end of this tunnel.
  I spent a week with my daughter in TN in Sept. , we had a great time, I will post pictures in a day or so. We saw the Aquarium, and Rock City both in the same day. Then we went to Lynchburg, TN to visit the town and tour the Jack Daniels distillery. I will have more on all of that next time, so until then yall have a very quilty week.
Tennye