Two Track Tales

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Busy With Blocks

the Cabin at 24 X 26

My math skills stink and I had to tweak as I went and there's plenty of those little places that need thread and stitches on them immediatly to tame them down

I still haven't gotten my other machine fixed yet but I'm more than thankful to have this one

These oblong blocks were a pain ... trying to keep the patches from having that stacked up look on the ends

I love playing with fabric and picking out what bounces off of the previous patch... I can loose hours doing it...

and of course you know I needed more blocks to add to all my other blocks...had to feed my addiction!

an ornament block... I see a manger or a camping tent... maybe a birdhouse

an Obama block for history ... yes, that's black in there with the Democratic blue

then the November TIF block pieced with threads to use above

and this made up as a joke for my husband. Our Detroit Lions are the worst team in the NFL , not able to pull off 1 win so far this year. Rumor has it, we my go all the way with ZERO for the season. We are razzed unmercifully by everyone but the games themselves have now become comedies.

After the piecing frenzy, I cleaned up the whole mess and organized everything upstairs that needed it. I started a new St Vincent bag and remade my to do list. I put things away that I KNOW I'm not going to get to and made the things I want to work on, more accessible.

I'm looking forward to some changes in the "near future" so I got out this clock that I'd brought home from my mom and dads earlier this year. I put it on my sewing table as a reminder of how precious time is... time and what I do with it. I really need to work on how I spend it

Veterans Day 2008

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ In Memory of my Brother ~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Christopher Freeland born January 1949 - Died December 1973

24 years and 11 mos

US Army Tank Commander ... Vietnam

Gone but not forgotten, loved and missed everyday!

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Resurrecting the Cabin Block

Time to take a fresh look at this block and fired up from Allies new project. It's calling for a border with some printed imagery... way too much fun... thanks for the nudge as to where my heart is Allie!!!

I have another hiatus here as D left for Detroit this morning.... Hermit Bliss for 4 days... blessed "piece" and quiet!

but the best of all?

The weather has been stellar this past week and I finally got to the "big project". K came with the Bobcat and pushed these county dirt piles around. Now for the lumbar workout, pulling sods and clumps.

Is it possible that a tomatoe may show its face....

viney cucumber, squash and pumpkin off to the side on the incline...

Kentucky pole beans growing up the tipee and the old log chair as a place to rest and "watch the weeds grow" ???? Taming the soil in these woods is not for the faint hearted.

Needless to say, I am thrilled to have the start of my garden.

County dirt = free

Use of Bobcat = 2 housecleaning jobs

1 broken steel rake = repaired

cedar logs = free

4 Alleives and a 6 pack of Bud Light = approx $7.99

Vegetable garden = PRICELESS

We have the deer fencing behind the garage scavenged from a job D did over the summer, scrap cedar posts are waiting for us at the sawmill... did I say I'm estatic?

What I've been up to....

Got the ornament stitched up... hung with ribbon and a button

the little tag says "Happy Thanksgiving" Mom and Dad

and 1 banner done out of the 3... at least the other 2 will be ready to work on come next Halloween

November TIF and Hermitage...

Sharon is such a pusher of the mind and didn't fail this month with the challenge posted here. Looking around I found several sites which led me to believe that the field of "typography" is wide open and mostly associated with perception via the eye of the beholder. Well , I'm the be-holder for the next month, so I chose this...

When I purchased Carole Samples CQ Templates (which I'm wanting to work more with, along with her Treasury of CQ Stitches book) , she had enclosed a cross stitch stencil as well as 2 monogram stencils of my initials. These turned out to be the perfect base of this months block. Thanks again Carole

I was amazed with myself at what I was able to accomplish yesterday when I put my mind to it. This will be the center motif. It was easy to stitch on the muslin which I had backed with fusible interfacing but the color will definitley clash. I debated using a Kool Aid dye and still may. I'm sure it will color the blue and green stitches... at best an over dyed effect, should I dare?? If you have any input dyeing this at this stage, please let me know what you think. I'll probably piece this up tomorrow and then it will be too late. A thinking woman would have dyed it before stitching but you should know me by now, LOL

I lost my glasses sometime last Friday (frown) and have looked in every possible place for them. I think they're out in the woods...They were the pair prior to my last RX. Well I got out my newest glasses and WOW, COULD I SEE! EVERYTHING CAME IN CLEAR AS A BELL. I loved my old specs because I could see fairly well close up but still wear them without tripping... it's leading me to believe that I'm now (another frown) at the bifocal stage. But I'm loving this new "look" on life and being able to read without holding things at arms length. I started the "New Mercies" book by Sandra Dallas. A slow take off so far, I hope it improves. I see she has a new one coming out next year, Prayers for Sale.

Rox gave me a set of curtains that she needs shortened... the cafe part hemmed up to make another valance. I was looking at the discounted price... way to go Roxanne!! (That's 17.83 not 12.83)