Oh the things we learn...

A long time ago, when I took my very first quilt class, I met some great people.  I'm not telling you quilters out there anything you don't already know.  And you know we are all eccentric to some point, too, right?  Yeah, whatever...  Deep down, you know it's true...

Anyhow.  I met a lady in the class that could do just about anything.  Over time (and I can't remember how or when or why it came up), she taught me how to "rush" a chair.  This isn't like rushing to the grocery store, or rushing a sorority.  It's an old form of creating a seat on a wooden chair.  She taught me how to do this on an old rocking chair that  has long been gone.

Where am I going with this?  

Every Sunday morning, my roomie and I go to her mother's house for breakfast, and the family gathers.  The chairs were taking a beating.  To the point where cheeks were falling through...  One day, I mentioned that I had learned how to re-do these kind of seats years before.  Maybe I could take one home and give it a shot.

So one at a time, over the last year or so, I've brought them home.  Here is how many of them looked.

I removed the old seats.  Sometimes, the rush had been glued down, and it was a mess under there.  But back to the basics, and the chairs were still good and solid.

It requires a good amount of strength, so there have been times over the past year I couldn't muster it, but I'm slowly getting them done.

 One of the biggest problems, is once I get it done, I forget to take an "after" picture. So I have a TON of before and during pictures, and only these two of a finished chair.  One chair.  Out of 5 done so far.

And I can tell you from Sunday morning experience, that while these may not look like they were professionally done, they sit VERY well.

Do you have any "hidden talents"?

AMW

Called Out

Once again, I was called out for not updating my blog. I hadn't realized it had been so long. I knew it had been a while, but didn't think it was THIS long.

 Where've I been??? (That's actually what she asked me when she also pointed out I hadn't blogged...)

 I guess I've just been laying low. I've been lurking in blogland, though, and have read most of the posts that my bloggy friends have written.

 We did go camping over Easter weekend, and it was lovely! The first camping trip of the season, and I hope there will be MANY more.

First Campfire of the Season!

And we did see the Baltimore Oriole's take on the Norfolk Tides (their farm team) and Harbor Park.

Major and Minor League all in one.

We snuck in  geocaching day trips to the Eastern Shore and the Outer Banks - two locations that we love and that are just BEAUTIFUL!

And in the midst of all that, the roomie tweaked a muscled in her back real bad, and had oral surgery.  Luckily, she is recovered from both of those ailments.

And lastly, we had to say goodbye to our beloved dog.  I've started a post countless times about her life and her passing, and just can get through it.  I really want to do a post to honor her here, but I can't yet.  And so I let that block all the other posts....

I've found that sporadic works best for me and this blog, and I'm pretty consistent at being sporadic.  So stay tuned sporadically for updates!

AMW

I need your advice

Oh, hello...  Remember me?  The one who blogs sporadically?  At least I'm consistently inconsistent...

I've been gathering polka dot fabrics for the last several years, and have just started the cutting process based on how I *thought* I was going to make this quilt.  But then this weekend, I had a *brilliant* idea!   (It's always brilliant when you first think of it, right????)  So this morning, I decided to lay it out and take some pictures of some different options.

This is where you come in!

I'd love to hear your thoughts on the layouts below, and either what you would do,  or what you think would look good, or what you think would look hideous.  Generally, any thoughts you have.

The background squares are 6.5 inches and will finish at 6inches.  The entire quilt will be queen/close to king size.  96x96.

Option 1.  This was my original design thought.  Raw edge circles on each 6 inch square.

Option 2.  This was the *brilliant* idea over the weekend.  Instead of a circle on each square, one over the seam.

Option 3.  Similar to option 2, but with a larger circle.

Option 4.  The thought was to stagger the larger and smaller circles.  To be honest, I don't really like this one at all.  But hey - I thought I'd throw it out there...

Option 5.  Yes - it's similar to option 4, but the circles don't cover EVERY.SINGLE.INTERSECTION.

Option 6.  This is similar to option 5, but uses all the same size circles over the entire quilt.  

What would YOU do?  What option do you think is the most "pleasant to the eye"?

Can't wait to hear what you think!
AMW

Precious Gift

I love penguins.  I have collected them for many, many years.  In my collection, I have literally all kinds of penguins.  Made out of many different kinds of mediums.  From wood, to metal.  Ceramic to brass.  Glass.  Plush.  A penguin made out of LEATHER.  And a lot more.  (Including a penguin tattoo!)

This year, as part of the Make My Christmas,  a friend of mine drew my name.  She remembered this tidbit about me, and here is what I got from her:

 She did a pencil drawing of a penguin for me and framed it!

Isn't it amazing?

A few years back, she visited Africa, and in her travels there, they came across a colony of penguins.  She took a bunch of pictures, so she made a collage of those pictures and put it on the back of the frame!

But she didn't stop there!

She recently had a milestone birthday, and a bunch of us went down to the OuterBanks for a birthday weekend celebration.  Unbeknownst to me, she was finding driftwood pieces on the beach, and collecting bottle caps at her party.

And out of that, she made me THIS:

The bottom of the body is a piece of the license plate from when she owned a motorcycle.

Isn't it GORGEOUS!?!?  So innovative, and so much fun!  It is hands down the most creative penguin I own.  And the best handmade penguin I have in my collection!

I can only imagine the time and thought that went into this.  And then I realize that's what I do when I quilt.  I try to capture the recipient in the fabric.  I think of them the entire time I work on it.  I hope it shows, and I hope they can tell it was made with love.  Just like this guy above was!

What's your favorite handmade gift that you've received?


AMW

Busted...

Well, I got busted big time.  Here is a text I received last week:

"So no random thoughts since Jan 4.  Whats up with that?"

LOL!  Don't you hate when your friends are RIGHT!?!?

So since KDF was the one who busted me, I thought I'd feature her in this post.  See, she was the name I drew for Make My Christmas!

You may remember how worried I was after THIS post.  I went to talk to her the morning of the party, and she was amazing, and it all worked out.

And I got it finished and delivered to her...  Wanna see it?  Here ya go:

I'm not sure if you can tell, but she's a big football fan.  Specifically, a Pittsburgh Steelers fan.  (I know...  hard to tell....)

And I think she was pretty happy with it.  In fact, the day after I gave it to her, I got this picture sent to my phone:

But don't tell her I'm using this picture, k?  She doesn't like it...  But since it will be MONTHS before she checks this blog again, I think I can get away with it.

And then she posted this one on Face.Book, so I guess it's is safe to use, too...

I adore this chick, and was THRILLED that I drew her name!  Keeping the secret was BRUTAL!!!  But the payoff of giving her this quilt made it worth it.

Love ya girl!
AMW

Brrrrrrrrr......

I've been reading all the "year-end" posts, and the "New Year" posts.

This isn't one of those posts....

I started the new work year off with a new attitude, really hoping this year was going to be different, but no such luck.  It started out on the rough side.

First thing, it's cold!  It was 28 yesterday morning when I came in, so that made the lobby 61 degrees.

With a shot of 28 every time one of the four side doors open.  It made for a VERY cold day.  I sat with my full length wool coat and gloves on.

Then, my "deskmate" (the security guard and I share a workspace made into two desks) proceeded to once again go on a cussing/swearing rant at a game he was playing on his phone.  This is not the first time.  It's a regular occurrence for him, and I've been listening to it for the last year.  I guess I finally had enough, cause I kind of exploded on him.  (We'll blame it on the cold and being less tolerant in the new year....)

Now, I'll say, that I am not his boss, not his co-worker, not his superior in any way, nor do I answer to him in any way.  We share space.  He sings regularly (not well), talks to himself, makes comments about people under his breath as they go by, talks over me, and so much more.  (Can you tell I'm not a big fan of his???)  But I'd had enough.  And it had been building up for quite some time.  And I could tell from the shocked look on his face, that he wasn't expecting that from me.  Brought the new year in with a bang, I guess...

Today, I got in, and the lobby is now 59.9 degrees.  With a blast of 29 with each door opening.

Brrrrr.....

I'm cold!

Here's to a better 2012.

AMW

Holiday Observation at work

I'm in the service industry.

Throughout the work year, I provide services to my clients, and don't accept any gratuities.  Yes, there are service fees for some things, and others are done for free.

At the holidays, my clients will sometimes give me a cash "thank you" for the year.  Others give actual gifts.

And as to be expected, that has dwindled over the last couple of years due to the recession.  Times are tough!

Here is what I realized today......

Some of my less prosperous clients have given me MORE this year.  In some cases, more than they've given me in the past.

And some clients (especially one who I know for a fact has done EXCEPTIONALLY well), gave me markedly less.  And these are the clients that people would consider more successful (Lawyers, Executives, etc...)

Now, don't get me wrong - I'm not being a grinch.  I appreciate ANY time a client remembers me at the holidays.  It just struck me as odd, that the ones who typically have less to share gave more.

Oh, and here's a non-work observation....  Our petsitter (who we'll be using after Christmas, and plan to give her a little extra "thank you" gift) sent our dog a Christmas card.  Not only that, she included a gift card to the local pet store!  AND - thanked us for letting her watch our dog!   Completely BACKWARDS!  It's those little things that really mark the holiday season.

Have you had any special things happen that have that certain holiday charm?

AMW

Occupy Norfolk visits my work

Wednesday afternoon, the Occupy Norfolk protest group was scheduled to come and protest at my building.  About 50 of them showed up.

One of our state Senators holds an office in our building, but has only been here for visits a few times in the last couple of years.  This is not his home, or his normal office.

But they wanted to to be heard by him, and wanted him to come down and talk one on one with them.

Wasn't going to happen.  In fact, the police had a serious presence there, as it had been widely publicized and was planned to get "rowdy".

"Wednesday's march will be in great need of supplies, as always- Urgent items include markers, signage, t-shirts, American flags, musical instruments of every sort, especially horns, drums, and guitars. We also need donations of 2 sets of Army style fatigues and 4 sets of prison style jumpsuits. Please. Most importantly, bodies will be needed. Everyone who can make it should be there for the noon r......ally and the 2pm march. If you can't make it please send items.]"

We (the building staff) were also informed that they planned to "push" things and have arrests.

It was certainly interesting to watch as things unfolded, and at some points, it was seriously entertaining.

This officer pictured above was apparently well-known by the O.N. group.  His name (and YES, it's his REAL name) is Sergeant Lovely.  At one point, all the women protesters of O.N. started chanting -

"Hey Sergeant Lovely - You're Sexy, Your Cute, Why's your vest, Bullet proof?"

Several times.

And then the all yelled -

"Hey Sergeant Lovely - How about you OCCUPY MY HEART!"

I wasn't expecting either of these, and I bust out laughing.  So did all of the staff members that were there keeping an eye on things.  The other police officers were unfazed.  Must have heard it before.

But one of the officers had been video taping the protest, probably for their own protection.

He walked up to Sgt. Lovely and said, "Got it.  You haven't seen the last of these...."  As he walked away with a smirk.   My guess is that if the recording doesn't show up at the next staff meeting, it will show up at his bachelor party, or retirement party, or someone equally embarrassing.


It wasn't long after that, that things went south.  Five people purposefully walked up to the sculpture, banded arms together, and sat down.  They knew they were trespassing, but did so willfully.  The officers patiently warned them that if they didn't go back to the sidewalk, that they would be arrested for trespassing.  I saw one of them get up, and go back.  The other four were peacefully arrested after about 5 minutes of warnings.

All of the other protesters just yelled that this was an injustice, and how could we let this happen, etc, etc..  But let their friends get taken away anyway.  I'm not sure I understand all that.

This last picture I included, simply because the officer in the picture was a member of the State Police.  There were a couple of them supporting the city police, and we heard that there were plenty nearby waiting to show up if there was a need.  But mainly I included the picture cause he was super nice, and kinda cute too.

I wish I had thought to bring my real camera to work.  All of these were taken with my phone.

Certainly made for an interesting afternoon at work....

AMW

Holiday Cheer

I think I mentioned already that last week was a tough week.  And it has continued a little into this week as well...  (If you see a post titled "Rental Property", then you will want to either skip it, or settle in, because it will be a RANT for sure...)

So, in the midst of this week, we were shopping in Target.  We went by the frozen food section, just to pick ups something quick.  And Ice Cream.  Cause we always have to have Ice Cream in the house.

There was a young teenage boy (my guess is 13 to 14 years old) shopping with his mother.  Instead of the typical attitude you would expect from a boy of this age who is shopping with his mother, the young man had a different approach to dealing with the monotony of shopping.

He was singing the 12 Days of Christmas!

When he got to the 4th day, he was trying to remember the lyrics.  His mother joined in and helped him out.  (We were secretly smiling at this point)

When he got to the 5th day, we joined in!  And sang through, and then again at the 6th day.  By the "7th" day verse - we were all laughing at the spontaneity of random people caroling in the frozen food section.

The best part was that the young man didn't get embarrassed and stop singing when we joined in.  He just kept going.

And gave us all a little bit of holiday cheer!

Have you ever experienced some randomness like this???

AMW

What a week...

Well this week has been full of challenges.  Lots of them.  Big ones and little ones.

But one of the most frustrating ones has to do with Make My Christmas this year.  If you aren't familiar with MMC, it's similar to a "Secret Santa" gift exchange, but you MAKE a gift for the person whose name you draw.  And in return, you get a handmade gift from whoever draws your name.


This is my third year participating, and I've had a blast!  Of course I made quilts, and the first year I stressed about getting it done.  The second year, I enjoyed it more and had little stress.


But this year is different.......


I've got the top and back and binding ready.


I reserved the long-arm for tomorrow.


And then I got a call that the machine is down, they are waiting on a part that they HOPE will be in Wednesday, and hopefully the machine will be back up and running by Thursday or Friday.  


And MMC is due Saturday.


Saturday.


I really have no idea what I'm going to do.  I've got calls out to several other shops to see if they rent or know of other rentals.  But no luck yet.


I really like this quilt, and don't want to try to do it at home, just to get it done.  I won't be happy with it.


I can cross my fingers and hope for the best.  But if not, then I don't know what to do.....


Not go to the party?  
Drink a little?
Go, and give an unfinished quilt (in front of everyone!)?
Drink moderately?
Visit the recipient ahead of time and explain?
Drink heavily?


What would you do?


AMW