I can't believe.....

Just a quick share!  I'm trying, slowly but surely, to get some stuff in order.  For instance, on my list for today is "unloading" dishes, china, etc. from my mom which I know my son will never use.  I have gotten extensive use out of the china as before I opened the store I never let a week go by when I wasn't entertaining at home.  The china definitely got used.

 Desert Rose - Francescan Ware

Florentine Gold - Wedgewood

Years ago there used to be a place in Pickering and another in Scarborough that bought and sold "old" china patterns.  I have tried calling these places and contacting these places to no avail.  The second hand stores here are not interested as they have an overflow of these things, on top of which, there pricing is based on the seller receiving 60% of the sale price which they continue to reduce as it sits on the shelves.  At the end of the day - you get nothing.  I would rather give it away then settle for this.

In order to "unload" it I have gotten in touch with Replacement China Ltd. in North Carolina.  This of course, requires that I pack it and send it to them.  They are an extremely reputable company and I am awaiting their Offer To Purchase which will give me an idea of how much each of the pieces are worth.  Of course, this will also require me to repack the boxes and there will be shipping costs so we will have to see if it will be worth the effort.  It is nothing less than frustrating.

You know, it's funny.  My mother collected all kinds of items which she thought to be "an investment".  China, artwork, books, some antique items, etc. and of course, when she passed away (3 years ago today) I inherited all of this.  I only took the things that I thought would be "worth" something and yet it appears that in 2013, these things are worth very little.  Is it the economic climate we live in or is it just that everyone has changed their tastes?!?!

I need to get this china outta here so I can make room for my ironing board LOL.  I need to get back to quilting and I really need my pressing corner......

Aside from the fact that I could really use the cash for the dishes rather than the dishes themselves, I could really use the room......

I am going back to organizing and getting stuff together so I can make some much needed space as well as get back to what I love doing...

Have a great day everyone!

Jo-Ann

P.S. - If anyone is interested in these dishes - don't hesitate to let me know!!!

Day 3 - Little by Little.....

Had to take one of my "knock out" pills last night to bypass the pain so today was what I would call a dozy day.....

Got the desk cleared off, got everything I wanted on the "old" computer downloaded onto the key and that's about all.  I did go through a load of papers and get rid of a lot of junk so at least that's done.

I am still thinking about doing some more but it would probably serve me better to head for bed and do it tomorrow.  I'm finding it very weird not to need to go anywhere or do anything (well that's not completely true - I do have a lot to do) but you know what I mean - not be on a set schedule.....

The one thing and really the most important thing I need to get done tomorrow is laundry! Even if I wanted to go somewhere I have nothing to wear!!!!  So that has become a priority.

Taking it slow and steady - one day at a time.  I guess that's the way it has to be, but, I really want to get a shot at those boxes - there's about 20 in my living room (warehouse) right now and I really have to get them sorted.  I am going to break down and get a storage locker early next week so some of this stuff can be moved out of here.  Just keep what I need to do what I have to do.  At the moment it's a bit overwhelming but hopefully that will change once I get it moving....

I do dream about the day when my only project on the agenda has to do with quilting!!!!

Have a great day everyone!

Jo-Ann

Day 2 - Where do I begin?

So, the clean-up begins!  I need to make room on the desk to transfer all the files from the old computer (seen behind the laptop) to the one of the other two computers brought from the store.  This is definitely taking way too long for my liking but unfortunately I am again held back by my physical limitations.  Today was one of my more painful days, mostly abdominal, and when I am like that - sleep is the only remedy.  So I managed to sleep quite a bit today but now I am wide awake (still some pain) so I have begun.....

The laptop, which gets internet, sits in front of the PC

which is older than dirt but still works.

The important info will be transferred to a newer

version of dirt.....

There were two more stacks of papers off to the side which I dealt with earlier today.  So far that is about all I have done.  Once it's all cleared and the printer has been moved I can get down to the "nitty gritty" of copying all the info.

I thought I would bring you up to date on the Farmer's Wife.  This was the last photo taken on the design wall at the store the night before the doors were locked!  I have to say I am extremely pleased to have this back - 16 blocks......done.....

This is the right hand top of the Farmer's Wife

Almost lost in the store "lockout"!

I think I may have given up making this quilt if I had lost all those blocks!  I now have more than half of the 111 blocks done - 57 to be precise!  Here are the latest completed and they are for the next row over.....

 Block #63 - Ozark Maple Leaf

 Block #39 - Friendship

Block #102 - Whirlpool

The next row is already together and I will add it to the 16 blocks and then figure out how to take a photo or where to take a photo.....

So off I go to do some more organizing!  Wait until you see what my little "warehouse" really looks like - Jonathan is truly not impressed, but in all honesty, it's true payback for the mess that I lived in because of him for many years.

Have a great day!

Jo-Ann

DAY 1 - A.C. (after Cock A Doodle!)

Today is officially Day 1!  I figure since I would have been off on Sunday and then Monday for the holiday today is really Day 1 - right!

Am I sad - a little, but I know that this was the right thing for me to do.  I really have to get my health on the first priority list or Cock A Doodle will not be the only thing that closes.  Having done pretty much nothing except sleep since Saturday night I can safely say that the last two weeks has taken a toll on me.

(Took a bit of a break just now - went out for a quick coffee with Liz)

The great part of the "big sleep" is that I can actually walk with very little pain and no cane.  It appears I needed rest and after two weeks of constant movement and not feeling up to par - this is great!  I was actually able to go out with Liz for a quick coffee tonight and really enjoyed the novelty of it.  I don't remember the last time I was able to do that - a late evening trip to the coffee shop.

I have done a little work on my Farmer's Wife over the last couple of days which I will figure out how to photograph (I do miss that amazing design wall!).  The house currently looks like a warehouse "Cock A Doodle Quilts West".  I have enough thread to supply about 3,000 quilters and still not use it all!  There are baskets of it!  Of course, there are boxes filled with masses of paperwork which as of tomorrow I really have to get at!!!!  Gotta get the books in order finally and put all that behind me.  Not sure how long that will take but I have a week until I'm back in chemo and will be under the schedule of "how I feel" day to day.

I am looking forward to the time when that is all behind me - the chemo as well as the paperwork because I really have to unpack all the projects and get them sorted and into priority order so I can get some quilting done.  I will certainly be trying to get some quilting done each day as well.

Today I managed to complete a good portion of my kitchen - Gillian made me take quite a lot of stuff I had no intention of taking so I had to find places for everything.  I did manage to snag and fit in one of those great white cupboards I had in the kitchen at the store thanks to Cathie and Daniel (and Jonathan) and Gail helped too......

Okay - I'm off to have a quick snack before bed and then back to the prone position.

Have a great day everyone!

Jo-Ann 

Shifting.....

It's that scary thing you do when you are trying to organize!  Yesterday when Rita was my legs and I was sorting all the "stuff" for Gillian to take to her church rummage sale and to drop at Value Village I had this horrible thought that I was just shifting the "stuff" from one spot to another.

I've set my mind at ease now because I know that anything that moved from the back to the front actually has to be at the front, whether there's room for it, well that's a whole other story.  There's still alot to do but it appears to be slowly moving in the right direction.

On Friday afternoon, after everything had been moved from the old "Doodle" to the new "Doodle" I sat in the chair by the books and picked up the phone to call my mom!!!!  I realized it had been just over two years since she passed away and I also realized how much I miss her!  I had a moment - she would have been so excited for me!  Needless to say I had a long conversation with her - and it's not long distance, and it sure helps!

My mom used to have a saying "Oh, my achin' back!"  It was something she used when she was overwhelmed or something crazy was happening.  When I said it yesterday - I meant it - my back really is aching!  Along with every other inch of my body!  The reward is that it will all be worth it in the end!!!!

I'm off to the store again to continue the "madness" and ruthlessly go through every single thing.  It's like that program "Hoarders" - it's almost laughable!!!!  But seriously - I am so limited for space that I have to really be ruthless!!!!

Have a great day everyone!

Jo-Ann 

At home....

I was so excited on Wednesday night when I finished sewing the last flower center onto my last small Lithia Park block - now I could get the borders on!  I laid it out on the bed and found "THE MISTAKE"!  I know it's not just me, we all do it and of course everything went downhill from there.  I started the unstitching to attempt the "quick fix", sewed it back together and really messed it up.  At that point I decided that this would need to wait for a time when cooler heads prevailed.....and into the "pile" it went!  You know the pile I'm talking about - you all have one too - I know you do!!!

So it sat in the pile and on Thursday night when I got home I busied myself with many other things and ignored "the pile" - I did say, cooler heads right!  (I was still very angry with that quilt top for not co-operating)....

Last night when I got home it was about 9:00 P.M. and I thought I could ignore the quilt a little longer but, alas, I really love that quilt and so with a cooler head I sat down and unsstitched again and fiddled and finagled until I got the centre of the quilt done - it only took a couple of hours as I also had to add the last row of the centre blocks which was what alerted me to the original mistake!  Now I only have the borders to put on and the top will be done...and then I will decide on a backing and binding, prepare the backing and binding, layer the quilt and put it in "THAT PILE" - you know the pile, the one where the quilts go that are ready to be quilted!!!!  They line up like little soldiers there on that pile, saluting as I pass by them, mocking me for my stubborn insistence that I will quilt them all myself.  Little do they know that I have a plan now!  I've always had a plan, I just never shared it with "the pile"!  My plan is to work simultaneously on my "to be quilted pile", my "to be machine pieced pile" and my "to be hand pieced or appliqued pile".....What???  That only requires 6 hands at once!  Where is the problem here?  Okay, so you are asking yourselves - how is she doing this?  (I also have knitting I'm working on!!!  A charity cancer shawl and a sock!)  Let me explain - I've got a plan!!!!

I usually make it home from the store by about 6:30 so I grab a quick dinner and from 7:00-8:00 P.M. I can quilt or piece and from 8:00-9:00 P.M. I can quilt or piece.  From 9:00-Midnite I can do my hand-piecing or applique work.  See - I have a plan!  Of course we all know about - "best laid plans"  but it's more of a guideline kind of thing!  Of course, there are still all those projects waiting to be started and that's another PILE!!!! 

Okay, that's enough for today - I am toying with the idea of starting a UFO Club at the store - you know, the kind where you have to DECLARE your UFO'S and then bring them to work on with maybe a compulsory Show & Share each week/month....Like I said I am toying with the idea!!!  Would you join - comments are more than welcome!

Have a great day everyone!

Jo-Ann

Chaos continued!!!!

It's been a busy few days - Thursday I worked and then went back to the Townhouse to finish cleaning up and getting the rest of the "little" things.  Finished up there around midnight and went home to collapse, had to unpack a few bags to get in the door.  I'm so happy to see the last of all those stairs!!!! 

Yesterday I had the morning to unpack and made a bit of headway then I was off to the store to get some work done there.  It's a juggling act but now that I've got the energy to get things done I feel pretty confident that I can start making things happen.  Came home last night and on the way stopped to pick up a nice salad at Metro - it's less than a block from the new place!  had a lovely dinner and then worked on some stuff for the store.

I've been getting up early the last few days, it's a nice change and I feel like I'm sleeping much better too!  What a fabulous change for me!  So this morning I was able to do a little more unpacking before I left for the store.  The "Healing Heroes" gals were in today and getting loads of stuff done.  I was busy doing a bit of inventory work.

I had a wonderful surprise this afternoon when Barb dropped by with some cool stuff.  She's been doing some organizing at home too and brought loads of fabric for Healing Heroes as well as some cool stuff for me to go through.....

Then Fiona dropped by with the most wonderful gift - a quilted portrait of Gizmo!  I asked her a few months ago if she wouldn't mind doing one and got the photos to her a few weeks ago - she did an amazing (actually 2 amazing) quilts).  When Rich had to have Gizmo put to sleep a few months ago it was devastating for all of us so hopefully he will enjoy the larger of the two quilts.  The Bonus here is - Fiona has agreed to run a class on portraits from photos.....cool huh!!!  She really captured Gizmo's personality in both of the quilts....

 They are both fabulous!

I'm thrilled with both of them (don't recognize the woman in the photo - oops it's me!  The hair threw me off!

Tonight was great - I got alot done and can finally almost see the dining room!!!  I'm getting there, one room at a time.  I'd better get myself to bed....

Have a great day everyone!

Jo-Ann

Happy Chaos!!

I couldn't be happier!  Richard, my son Jonathan and his two friends Ian and Dana moved 99% of the Townhouse yesterday to the apartment and I am thrilled because everything FITS!!!!  Well, there was an extra bed, an extra sofa and the TV cabinet didn't come either but those were planned, everything else fit exactly where I thought it would!!!!

 We ate standing up last night to make room for all the "grocery" bags being used to transport stuff, but once those bags are out of the way, everything fits in my dining room.....

 The living room is big enough to accomodate everything that was in the townhouse and the wing chair that was up in the guest bedroom at the townhouse....

 ..from another angle it also accomdates my large antique cabinet now being used to have the TV on as well as my pine desk and the pine storage unit that was in the den/office at the house!

 The kitchen counters have become makeshift storage while we moved the "big" stuff it all came out of....and my stove is now computerized with a built in monitor - NOT - wouldn't that be cool!!!!  Make Spaghetti and Meatballs and it's done by the computer/stove......

 No surface area was spared until I get it all in place....

 Even the floor is covered in the kitchen, but it all has it's place which it will soon find.....

 My red bookcase from the office/den fits perfectly in the front hall, in front of the door - makes me feel scholarly (and we don't actually use the front door to go in and out - we use the patio door!).

 Jonathan's room - still nothing done but in all honesty this picture was taken before they came back to build the bed at 10:30 P.M. when they finished with everything......

 Looking from the other side to the kitchen, my red bookcase......

 My bedroom - has all the furniture in place and I couldn't believe it but I even got the sea chest in which for me was a major bonus!

 By taking the sliding closet doors off, I was able to fit my second dresser into the alcove and the wing chair and hassock leave plenty of walking room.......Hopefully at some point in the near future there will be a curtain up to hide the "stash".....but Rich says he likes it that I have to wake up and look at all my unfinished stuff, maybe I won't start anything new!!!!  Uh-huh!

...and my dresser fits in great along with the little bookshelf for my craft/quilt books that was in the guest bedroom at the townhouse....the little greenmarks are the painters' tape marking the drawers and where they go!

I still have to go back to the townhouse tonight after work to clean and gather up all the little odds and ends the "boys" didn't take with them and there are still a few....I think mostly breakables which have to be packed up and transported carefully!  So that's where I'm off to now but I am SOOOOOO excited to be in the new place, I can't express how happy I am!

Off to clean - have a great day everyone!!!!

Jo-Ann

P.S.  I'm really hoping to be saying Off to Quilt in a few days!

This should be an ad!!!!

.....for the strength of those recyclable bags we've all been buying at the grocery stores and other great establishments, like Costco, Shoppers Drug Mart, etc.....

 Here we have Wegmans, Metro and Sobeye's.....

Here we have Metro and Shoppers.....

 
It has been like this since Saturday when I got the keys to the apartment - fill the bags, transport the bags, unpack the bags and back again.....I'm not sure how many trips we've made....Jonathan does a few during the night while I'm sleeping - he's been a trooper, with attitude but it is getting done.

Tomorrow morning we pick up the U-Haul and start moving the BIG stuff.  Jonathan and a couple of his friends, along with Richard and I will be moving all the furniture.  Well - they will be moving all the furniture while I put stuff away and continue to fill bags and take them over.....it's the steps that are the killer here.   I am exhausted and am on my way to bed and needless to say I will be thrilled once this is all over......

I'll be back in the store on Thursday for Sit & Sew and maybe I can actually relax a little but there's alot to do there too!  No rest for the wicked - heeheehee!

Okay - that's my update for today!!!!  Tomorrow I get to fondle all my fabric stash while I pack it into shopping bags.  It is hidden in the big hutch in my dining room which has to be emptied before it can be moved......I can't wait!  At least I'll get to see my fabric even though I haven't had time to use it lately.....

Have a great day everyone!

Jo-Ann

Happy New Year!!!!!

You have no idea how much I am looking forward to 2012!!!!  Well maybe you do!  If you've been following my blog for the past year you know I am very glad to see the back of 2011 - the last 6 hours are ticking down now!

....and what I am doing for New Year's Eve!!!!  I am going to pick up the keys to my new apartment!  Yep - we are on the move again!  Not too far from where we are but to a much smaller place and a place with NO STAIRS!  There are a number of reasons for the move but one of the most rewarding will be not having to climb stairs.  After last night I am even more grateful for this - I came home to find that the steps up to the courtyard in front of the townhouse were extremely icy but worse than that, the courtyard was like a skating rink.  I'm not sure exactly how I made it to the front door without falling but thank heavens I did......

The hard part about the move will be finding a way to fit three floors of furniture into a two bedroom apartment, ha! ha!  It appears I will be learning how to use E-Bay, Kijiji and Craig's List in the very near future!!!!  It's a good thing I have that big room at the back of the store to "dump" stuff until I either sell it, give it away or dispose of it!

I really am looking forward to a smaller space for a million reasons, one being, it is so much easier to keep clean.....even Jonathan will have a hard time living in squalor!  (I hope!)  There's a 24 hour Metro right around the corner (Jonathan could actually get a job!)!  We'll be on the ground floor, so, easy access from outside - won't need to wait for elevators!  It also gives us a nice little garden space in the summer.  At this stage in my life I also have no objection to "purging", whether it be furnishings or all the other stuff I've managed to accumulate over the years.

This move is going to force me to go through all the boxes in the basement that have yet to be unpacked since last February when we moved.  You know what that probably means!!!  If we didn't miss it - we probably didn't need it!!!!  In a way I'm looking forward to it but the new house will be in total chaos for the next few days,weeks, even months!
I'll just need to focus and get it done!  It should be interesting to see what's there....I have a vague recollection but I'm still not sure what's in all those boxes...... I may have to change the name of the store to "Second Hand Jo's"!!!!! ...and start selling "used" items!

I want to take this opportunity to wish you all a HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!  I wish you all everything you wish for yourselves and more!  A wonderful 2012!!!!  I just want an uneventful 2012 - a nice quiet year which will give me the time to "re-group" and turn my energies towards the store and my quilting!!!!

Hoping everyone has a great evening this evening and a Happy day tomorrow!

All the best,

Jo-Ann

I do make mistakes......

We won't go back to the beginning and comment on all of my mistakes!  We will concentrate only on the un-sewing of the past two days.....

It's actually a miracle that I only made one mistake on my "trip Back In Time " pattern since I don't have that great design wall at home that I have at the store, but in fact I did have to do some un-sewing last night.  I came home from a day at the store and then a Merchant's Association meeting and completed the quilt centre - tomorrow I'll get Nancy to help me "audition" the borders and then to the quilting.....

Notwithstanding the mess in the house and the great shot of the downstairs toilet,  Jonathan is a great quilt model!!!!

So this morning I'm showing off my Lithia Park flowers to a customer and what do I see!!!  Three of the flowers are out of order....I mean, I did them all consecutively.  My customer said, just leave them, but after all that work I just couldn't - so some more un-sewing!  Now I just have to re-sew them which I will do while watching CSI.....my TV time should always be productive!

More news, we are moving yet again!  I'm not sure exactly when but I'm going to see an apartment next week and will know more then!  As much as I do love the space, etc. of the townhouse, the stairs are not doing me any favours and the $$$$ are doing me in as well.  The townhouse does not include heat or hydro, more bills to pay......The apartment includes everything including one parking, albeit outdoor, but still - one price, everything included!  This means we have to "downsize" again!  I may have to open a second hand furniture store - maybe in the store to devoid me of all the extra stuff!!!!!  There's so much to sort through and not alot of time - not to mention I am full time in the store now so there is literally NO TIME!  I hate that word - it's a 4 letter word!!!!!

It will be another NEW beginning - hopefully better than the last one!  Last year was not one I want to repeat - EVER!!!!  On that note, I am off to watch TV a little before bed....

Have a great day everyone!

Jo-Ann

It's been awhile........

Wow!  I just checked and I didn't realize it's over a week!  Well it's also been a busy week.  Last weekend and up until Friday morning I spent most waking hours while not in the store, packing. 

We were supposed to move on Wednesday.  Needless to say, that was not going to happen in my wildest dreams.......#1 - like everyone else who moves, I wasn't ready and #2 - the "big" storm!  Okay, maybe it wasn't what was predicted but it still would have put a damper on the move to say the least!

Of course, in preparation for the move certain things have to be done!  Like moving the phone and internet, etc.....  My plan was to move to a new provider, finally leaving Bell behind.  I had chosen Primus at a combined cost of $69.95 - sounded pretty good but there was a catch!  The internet usage was limited to 25G.....since Jonathan has been using up to 50G per month there would have to be some kind of upgrade.  Jonathan streams TV and movies ever since I dropped my satellite dish and went to "rabbit ears" (plain old fashioned antenna).  I had no idea until I called Bell to tell them I was cancelling.

So after 1 hour and 20 minutes and 4 different people, the end result was that I agreed to a new contract with Bell!  I pretty much got the deal of the century - for $75.28 I got 60G of Wireless Internet usage, free North American long distance, a home phone with call display, call answer, call waiting and three way calling.....(never use it but it's part of the package!)!  Previously I had been spending $130.00 - $150.00 with basic internet and basic phone - go figure!  The base should have been about $70.00 but with long distance calls and Jonathan's extra downloading/streaming I was getting additional charges which really added up.

The downside was I told them I was moving Wednesday so by 10:00 a.m. I had no phone.  We also had to be at the new house at 8:00 a.m. on Thursday to wait for the Bell guy to come and hook up the internet.  He was coming between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.!  So Jonathan and I headed over to the new place.....I took some pics so you can see the before!

The kitchen.......there are already boxes because we staged the house so some stuff went earlier......

This is the office/den currently dubbed the "box room"!  Here's where most of the "stash" and quilting projects reside waiting for me to fondle and start or finish.......this room is just off the kitchen and is "supposed" to be the dining room but I had other plans.....

Here's the Living Room which I am using as a combined Living/Dining Room (actually it will also double as the "studio").....

All the stuff in here was moved to the "box room" before the movers showed up with the furniture....

The powder room and the staircase - one up, one down.....it's a pretty big townhouse and at this point I was hoping against hope that all the furniture would fit.....

The above photo also includes the back of Richard, we left Jonathan to wait for the Bell guy while we went to Lowe's to pick up paint for the living/dining room.  The plan was to have the wall where the big wall unit from my studio in the house was going painted because once it's in place it really can't be moved......  We got back around 3:00 p.m. - no Bell guy!  He didn't show up until 5:10 p.m. - I was ready to leave!  Of course he showed up without the new wireless modem too!  After all that, this will require another call to Emily to get it sorted out (anyone who deals with Bell knows Emily - she's the computerized voice you want to KILL!).....Bell is very lucky that I hate Rogers more!

Okay - so, yesterday was moving day!  I was blown away!  As promised, the movers showed up at approximately 8:15 a.m. and whipped through the house!   I mean whipped!  By 4:00 p.m. they were gone!  I have never had such a smooth move!  ...and this all happened at the price quoted!  For anyone who is moving or who knows someone who is moving - this is who you call!

Planned Directions

James Strathdee

905-275-3442

Tell James - Jo-Ann sent you!  He really is amazing and his crew of guys are absolutely fabulous!  Any kind of move - he does it all!  Last night - I fell into bed - exhausted!

Today - I started unpacking!  I think I got about 15 boxes unpacked....which was a real good start but not even close.  Rich came by and painted another wall!  I was able to pretty much complete the dining room area.....

I just need to find the drawers and the shelves for the wall unit and Rich has to put up the dining room light fixture and then it will be pretty much complete.  Unfortunately the anitque blue cupboard I had at the house doesn't fit so it will be going to the store and be put to use for display purposes.....

The large harvest table I had in the house now resides in Windsor in a gorgeous Log Cabin home with Libby and Lorenzo!  I will go visit it soon!

I do feel I accomplished something and now I can safely start bringing my quilting home to work on in between boxes....painting.....and loads more that has to be done!  I do feel that I accomplished something and that's the important thing here!

Will try and keep you all updated but I may need a few days to get acclimated!  I also have to go back to the house and keep packing what we didn't have time to get ready!  Ugh!  It's still not over......

Have a great day everyone!

Jo-Ann

 

The countdown begins.........

Only 4 days until MOVING DAY!  Am I packed?  No!  Will I be?  Hmmm, there's a good question.....  For all intents and purposes the house doesn't actually close until Feb 25th so I have some time but with everything else that's going on, the aim is to get out and be done with it......just a quick cleaning after we've left and that's it!

If you don't hear from me for a few days, at least you'll know why!!!!  Yesterday I packed up the studio - insomuch as I put everything in bags, packed up the machines, organized the current projects and moved them all to the store for safekeeping!  This way I will know where I can put my hands on a project I want to work on - not worrying about anything getting misplaced in the confusion of the move!

I did it!....or have I said that already!  Laurissa's quilt is done!  I can see again!  What's sad is you can feel the quilting but you really can't see it!  Doesn't matter, it is done and that's what counts......

Last night was Applique Club at the store!  Nancy was going to throw me out because I wasn't appliqueing, I was hand piecing but the girls voted and said I could stay.  I was working on my Farmer's Wife - I now have 12 blocks done.....and I love how precise they come out when I hand piece them......"99 blocks in the quilt to go, 99 blocks to go......"

This is block #34 - Flock - a little more fiddly but easily put together........

I still haven't found all the templates that I had cut but right now I'd say that isn't on my priority list.  I'm sure they're with another box of fabrics at the new house and after Wedenesday I can search at my leisure.  I am so looking forward to "unpacking"!  I haven't been able to fondle my fabrics since October - I'm having withdrawal symptoms!!!!!  I also need to amass all of my blues so I can get started on my Welcome to the North Pole which is due in 3 weeks!  We all know how quickly time flies when there's a deadline involved!

At any rate I don't think I'll be getting much quilting done in the next 4 days so I'll have to find something else to relax me.....tonight will entail packing, packing and more packing, maybe some laundry!?!?!

Will keep you all posted, in the meantime - have a wonderful, productive day!

Jo-Ann

Trials and Tribulations!

The order of the day - getting things done!  Yesterday began with my second meeting with a mover to get a quote!  His quote was so good I signed on the spot!  However, my son weighed in with "he and his friends will move us!"!  It was pretty tense in the house - Rich and I just sat there looking knowingly at each other as I signed the contract!  He really has no clue what this entails.....or why people use "professional movers" to move their valuables.....

Then I called the store to find out what was going on!  Sharon informed me that the water was turned off at 10:00 a.m. and hadn't come back on yet - it was 1:30 p.m. and I had to prepare dinner for 14 by 6:00 p.m. - this was not good news!

I rushed over to the store to see if I would be cooking at home and then transporting dinner or if I would have enough time to get everything done.  Luckily the water came back on around 2:30 p.m. so we were good to go!  I got busy preparing dinner and getting some stuff done in the office -

I have to say I love Friday night Sit & Sew, especially when I actually get to do some sewing too!  ....and I did!  I am embarassed to tell you that I am still struggling with Laurissa's quilt (which I intend to have done this weekend), that black on black is really murder on the eyes even with the Bendable Bright Light but I can say that without that BBL I would be sunk!  It's almost completed - another hour or two and I'll finish it tomorrow come hell or high water as they say!

Today was Heroes and Tiia brought a fabulous cheesecake, an Anna Olsen recipe with Bailey's Irish Cream - it was absolutely decadent!  I really need to get that recipe!  That was breakfast and lunch for me!  After work Jonathan and I went to Swiss Chalet to meet up with "family/friends", Mucie and Dov and my godson Oren and his son Shai!  Shai is now 14 months and just an absolute joy!  Every time I see him I just want to eat him up!  Loves to be kissed and when you ask him how old he is - he holds up one finger!  He's precious!

Then home to start packing but before I did I took pictures of the dining room from both angles for posterity......

I'm going to miss this house, but it will be fun to compare this to the new place!  I think next to my first love, which is fabric, my second love is decorating!  Aside from paint, there's really not much I have to do except place furniture and make loads of quilts to hang on walls, drape on sofas and adorn my new home!  It will really be great therapy for me to concentrate on this!  I need a good, productive year of quilting!  I mean really, don't we all! 

The intention is to take my time and do it right!  Of course, you may all be pretty bored by this procedure...it will include making a list of all of the UFO's I will be unpacking along with the stories that go with them!  But sometimes it's fun to see what others have stashed away!  You'll be surprised!  I could WIN the MOST UFO's category hands down!  They will be numbered......lol!

I still fully intend to finish Molly's Meadow first!  I already have a really good idea which wall it will eventually end up on.....stay tuned!

By the way - packing is a real pain in the butt!  I did get one box done tonight and will probably finish the dining room tomorrow night.....but there's way more then I thought there was (so what else is new!).....

Have a great day everyone!

Jo-Ann