Dreams are sometimes nightmares.

Good morning everyone. I am back heheh. Bet you all were saying, "Now why don't she write?" hehe.

Well truth is, I have been so busy packing up my friend's dear mother's belongings for the last month and a half since she passed away. She was my dearest and truly my best and only real friend here and this hasn't been an easy task. She was a collector of beautiful glass, carnival, Vaseline, crystal, rose and so much more. Lots of jewelry and other collectables. That is just the beginning of what I have been wrapping. She used her dressers drawers to store many of her collections in instead of using them for clothing so just when I thought I was done, it was still finding more carnival glass and crystal.

 All of this though was not only to help my friends daughter, but also, we are suppose to be moving into the house and lease it from her. We have till the end of May to make the move and it just isn't coming together as much as I would have hoped it would. Lately I am getting the feeling that she has changed her mind and I am just devastated by it all. A month and a half of packing and cleaning and getting rid of things for her and I am getting such strange vibes that she doesn't want us to move in now. Maybe its all in my mind and I am a very sensitive person so I take insinuations and comments to heart and they feel very insecure about the whole situation. I could be reading something into nothing and that I just want this all to happen so bad that I am scared it isn't going to happen. I can't really seem to talk to her about it as she says, don't worry, everything is fine, etc but still I get asked have you seen all the carnival glass that was in a trunk in the basement. I haven't even ventured into the basement as that was something we were going to work on gradually since it is packed to the max too.

I really love her like she were one of my own daughters or at the least a very dear friend but I am just getting the strangest feelings like she doesn't trust me or feels unsure about me? If that were the case I can't fathom that she would have me packing all of her mother's belongings.

I guess I just needed to vent. I am just so tired and feeling so desperate that my dream to live there isn't going to happen. This dream is becoming a nightmare.

Thanks for listening.

Beginning of a Beautiful Memory

I have been practicing on small blocks to prepare myself for the big Grand Finale . I am going to be doing a 108" X 108" quilt for my daughter. I am so honored to be allowed to use a traditional family pattern from a wonderful lady in Hawaii. She is the president of the Hawaiian Quilting Guild and this is a picture of the one that was completed by one other person.
Mine will be done in a dark yellow batik with green highlights with a light yellow batik backgrourd

The  women closest to the quilt is the creator of the quilt and the woman in the black and white dress is the designer, Carol Kamaile.  Both are beautiful creators of this quit. I am so excited as I spoke with her on the phone from Hawaii yesterday and she was gracious enough to give me a multitude of instructions that I said, would be the beginning of many long distance calls. Thank God for technology these days.
I can't wait to get started.
Thank you so much Carol for all your hard work in re-tracing your family pattern. I only hope I can do it justice so that it will represent the beauty of all your hard work.
It is for my middle daughter that lost her father when she was only 4 and he was killed in Hawaii helping a friend with his home. I feel like her connection with him may be fulfilled with this quilt.  She asked me to make her one. It will get done but may take about a year or a little more. Everything good is worth the wait.

This is for Susan and her daddy.

Quilting with Love

I have been so busy working on my first and hugest quilt and also working on making some Hawaiian practice blocks to begin making a Hawaiian quilt for my Daughter. I am almost done with this one then on to the next ones. This is the Anthurium

This is the Trumpet

So you can see I have been busy and not slacking a bit.

Lavender Dreamer

Hey Diane, Just wanted to share this with you. Your picture reminded me of this photo of me.
Much like yours but I was in Japan when this one was taken.

Here is a little walk down Memory lane




Here is a little pic of my mother and father that was so similar to yours again. Are you sure we are related








Isn't it funny how we have very similar photos and we are even sitting in the same place at the table. I was about 5 years old in this pic.

MY SAVING GRACE

Oh my gosh,

If God ever created tools this was one of them. I can thread a needle with my eyes closed. Seriously.
This is the most awesome needle threader I have ever used or found.
Someone at Daves Garden Forum suggested it and I have to go and thank them,

There is a hole in the top and you don't even have to line up the eye of the needle, you just put the eye in the hole, lay the thread across the opening for the thread and push down the little pedal. Voila, the needle is threaded. Oh My Gosh, I love this tool.

You can order one from here

http://www.anniescatalog.com/detail.html?prod_id=92503

You will thank me for this                

2013 and we are here

Well, its a new year and we all seem to be busy working on new projects. I, as usual, am working on too many projects at one time. I am working on my first quilt which is coming along nicely but should
have started smaller. I always have a tendency to do things BIG so my first quilt is almost a Queen
size quilt.

I am also working on a tutorial for beginning gourd beading on Dave's Garden. Haven't done any of that
for ages so its like visiting an old friend.

 I have also been working on a penny rug Valentine for a friend.

So as usual, I am up to my ears in projects.

My furry kids keep me constantly busy too and I best post a picture of the Awesome Twosome or they will be sorely disappointed

Baxter has way too much energy and Phoebe tries to catch naps when she can without much success

So my friends and follers, I once again am going to try and pull myself away from the addicting FB and get on here more.
Have a great weekend my friends
Jan, Phoebe and Baxter.

HO HO HO, Its Christmas Stocking Exchange TIme

CLOSED 

Come on all you Lovers of Prim and of the Winter and Holiday season. I am Hosting this Mixed Idea of the Winter Stocking. This allows for others to join in to,Christian, Jewish, all religions and even those of little faith. Everyone loves The smells and joy of the Holiday season. How better to get in the swing of things then to create that special holiday stocking and fill it with goodies for your exchange partner.  

Ho Ho Ho, Winter is on its way and time for our
annual Winter and Christmas Stocking Exchange

Well, its that time of year again and I am pushing myself and hopefully others to get in the swing of things for the Holidays.

I am hosting a Christmas Stocking Exchange on another site and I want to do one here too. I am going to change this one a bit to include others that do not do Christmas but maybe Hanuka so I though that we might do something a little different here to include everyone and do a 

WINTER AND CHRISTMAS STOCKING EXCHANGE.

If you are taking part in the other one you are more then welcome to join in here too but you will just have to "Double your pleasure and Double your fun And make two stockings Instead of One"

This is the stocking I received on the last exchangethat hangs on my wall all year as it has all my colors and isn't necessarily Christmas in design..

I have gotten bit by the quilting bee and will probably be incorporating that into my exchange.

Now if you want to join in the rules are simple.

For this exchange all stockings need to be hand made and at least 14" from cuff to toe.

Each person that joins will also need to state their theme for this years Christmas so that
the person that gets you name can design their stocking to fit into your theme. If you haven't any
particular theme then it will be considered Traditional. Other themes maybe, like, Vintage Christmas, Nutcracker Suite Theme, Some have particular themes like nautical with boats and star fish and colorful fish, or even a particular Color theme, just to give you an idea.

**I have started this late here but you have till the 15th of November to sign up and all stockings need to be sent by the 7th of December at the latest due to increase of delivery and slow mail service in December.**

All Stockings need to have some goodies added, your choice, sweets or other things as no one likes to get an empty stocking.

SO COME ON GANG AND LETS HAVE SOME FUN.

YOU HAVE TILL THE 15TH TO JOIN IN.

Please respond by sending me your name and theme and then email me your address.

I hope to see many of my friends and bloggers join in. I think we need to bring some joy
into our lives after a very difficult year with bad weather and politics and so many of our sons,
daughters,brothers, sisters and friends still fighting for our freedom.

1. Lora of Paperpest      Theme is Winter and whimsy
2. Me                             Theme is Nutcracker Suite
3. Linda                         Winter and Whimsy.

CLOSED

Looks like its just the three of us gals. Boy, everyone else is going to miss out on the fun, but thanks for
being a part of this years exchange Lora and Linda. I really appreciate it.









            HO HO HO, SANTA IS COMING TO TOWN