IF You Live Long Enough you.......

can tell your child or children everything they ever did that you didn't like, or tell them stories that you have no idea whether they are true or not.

Sometimes, the ones Aud tells explain some of the reasons I am like I am.  (And sometimes I wonder if she makes stories up just because)

I am an only child and have always had the irritating (to some people) habit of trying to tell people how to do things, or trying to fix something that I think they are doing the wrong way.  Well, now I know why.

We are driving down some road a couple of days ago having one of those ongoing (for us anyway) conversations about why we have made some of the decisions involving our move from Texas to Oklahoma 10 years ago.  We always come up with variations on a theme of the reasons.

Imagine my surprise, when out of the blue, Aud says to me...You always were a sh*tt* child.....

What?   What do you mean?

Well, you were.

Oh, ok, well great, Mom, thanks for letting me know.  What took you so long to come to that conclusion?

And we laughed, and went on our way.

This afternoon, out of the blue, Aud says to me....you know when I told you you were a sh**ty
child?

Yes

Well, what I meant by that is.....when you were little I wanted you to be so perfect and act right in every instance so I taught you from right and wrong and how you should act. like.....

Little girls don 't do that, this is the way you act, etc...

I didn't have any siblings to boss around,  and Aud says  I just bossed everyone else, and some people didn't take it very well, and guess what, they still don't, lol. 

and for the last 72 years that is exactly what I have done.

The moral of this story is, if there is one,  if you live long enough you can blame all of your shortcomings or goings on your parents.

I Don't See The Card

Continuing on with the surreal week I seem to be having......

It is 108 here this afternoon and I just got home from doc visit and a couple of errands I needed to run.
And the following is one of the reasons I am not getting anything accomplished this week in the way of working on Grace.

Hello, Toyota?  I need to get my oil changed.  Do you have time today?
(been trying for two weeks now and they want me to leave it all day, hah)
Can you leave the car?
No
Well, you are looking at a couple of hours
Ok, will check back later

Well, let's see, I have a couple of coupons and a gift certificate to Coldwater Creek.  Guess I will drop by there and see what they have and then check back with Toyota and see if they can do the car.

I go to Coldwater Creek, find several things for me and several for Aud.  It is our favorite place to shop and  they know us there, etc.  Oooh, don't have my card with me, oh well, I can call Aud and get her to give me the numbers.

Calling Aud,

Mom, would you please go look in that basket besides my chair and get the Coldwater Creek card out?  I need the number.

Hang on, I just got out of the shower and I don't have my glasses on.....
hmmm, can't see very well, let's see, this is  Blockbuster  .....

I don't want Blockbuster
I know, I am looking, I can't see very well

Audrey, go get your glasses please
Ok, I have to put the phone down, be right back.....

Ok, let's see, hmmmm, no, no, no, here's Amazon,
No, I don't want Amazon, just Coldwater Creek,
It should be leaning against the front edge of that basket,
No, not here..... here's Ethel
Ethel? I don't have an Ethel credit card
Oh, no , this is just a card,
Mother, we are looking for a credit card
No, I don't see it, here's .... and here's ..... and so on and so on

Well, look in the black card case, that is probably where it is
ok......
no, it is not here
Are you sure?
Yes, I have looked through it twice.
Ok, never mind, I will use my other card.
(I like to use my Coldwater Creek card because I get "rewards")
Thanks for looking.  See you after while.
Pay for our stuff, and leave.

My Toyota has keyless entry, and I walk up to it and pull on the handle, and it doesn't open.  Sometimes when I leave it with valet parking at the doc's office, it won't open without the key for a couple of times.

So, no problem, I get the key out and press the button and I can hear the beep but the door doesn't open.  Now it is 108 and I am "sweating" and thinking, great, just what I need, middle of this heat and the electronics are affected.  I press the button again, and nothing.

I glance in the car, and hmmm, maybe this isn't my car.  It looks like my car, though
I go around to the front, and there is an L emblem on it.  This isn't my car, this is a Lexus!

I look around, and my car is two spaces down.  :)   Thank heavens no one was around, I felt like a fool, but it wasn't beeping and no alarm was going off.  Yay for that!

I grin, get in my car, turn the a/c as high as it will go, and head home.  No way am I going to go sit in the dealer's waiting area for 2 hours or so.

I do stop and fill the car with gas and am thinking, please let me get home before I can't breathe!

I get home,  look where I told Aud to look for the card, and sure enough, it is right where I told her it was.  I notice the connecting cord for the camera to connect to the computer is laying on the floor and it usually is attached to my camera case.

Mother, the card was where I told you it was.
Show me
I show her the card case, and she says, that's not the case I looked in.
What case did you look in
The one that looks like one to hold your glasses.
Did it have a camera in it?
Yes
Well, that is my camera case, and I show her the card case, it too is black, and it is right beside the camera case!
Oh, I didn't see that.    ARRRRGGGGGGGG!!!!!!  I am not yelling!  Why?  Not sure!  Wouldn't do any good anyway

Aud goes off to change clothes, and I am getting a fashion show will I am opening mail.

And, then,
I hate to tell you this, Perry, but I don't like this blouse.  It is too hot and I don't like the feel of it.

Ok, I will take it back tomorrow.

It doesn't matter how many times we have gone out there or how much or how little we buy when we go, there is always at least one item that has to go back, lol.  And it is a good 10 or 12 mile to the store we go to.

Tomorrow I will return the blouse, pick up my BOM from the local quilt store, and go set in the Toyota place with a Starbucks and my Ipad and get the oil changed in the car.  Maybe the third time is a charm.

I Can't Find My Wallet!

Aud, come on!  Your doctor's appointment is in 15 minutes!

I can't find my wallet.
What do you mean, you can't find your wallet.
I walk into her bedroom and she is digging through her dresser drawers with her blue purse in one hand.
It's not here and it's not in my dresser.
Have you looked in your chair?
Yes, it's not there.
I raise the chair...look under the chair...is it there?   No.
Did you look in the living room?
Yes, it's not there.
It has to be here somewhere, you haven't been anywhere.
It's not here.
That's not the right purse you are looking in
Yes it is
I don't think so, do you have your keys in there?
Yes
We search the house.
Mother, this is ridiculous, we are going to be late and you don't need your wallet right now and you do have the keys.
I need my money and it is in my wallet.
I have money, we can look for your wallet when we get back.  Aud we are going to be late!
Well the keys aren't in here either.
What do you mean, the keys aren't in there? You can't lose the car key, it is the extra one that has the computer thingy in it.
Well, it's not here either.
Can I look?
Yes, but it's not there!
You're right, it's not in here either. This isn't the right purse.  Aud, the last purse you used was the bag thing that is striped.
I looked in that one, it's not there.
Can I look?
yes. but it's not there!
I go to her closet and picked up the striped bag that is laying on the floor in the corner.  Is this the bag
you looked in?
Yes
This isn't the right bag, Aud.  The stripes went up and down, not around.
That's the purse I used
Well, your wallet is not in there.
I know that
Let me look in the car and see if it dropped out. What really concerns me is where in the $%#@ the car key is!
I look in the car.  Of course it is not there.
I walk back in the house
Aud, come on, we have to go.
I found it!
Where was it?
Well. when you said something about that not being the right bag, you were right.  It was in the other striped bag, and so are the keys.
Where was the purse?
Under some clothes in the closet.
Oh for cripes sakes!  Come on, we are late.
We get in the car and head out to the doctor.
Don't let that happen again Perry.
What?   Let what happen again?
Don't lose my keys again.
Ok, Aud, I will be more careful from now on.
:)

Design Wall Monday

I have made progress on my Grace Quilt in spite of all the "adventures" that have happened in the last couple of weeks.

All of the stars are finished.

And now the placing of the blocks is going on.  My design wall is not big enough to put all of the rows up so I have the first four up like I am going to put them together.  I have made a couple of changes since I took this picture, but this is it basically.

To see what other people are up to this week, visit Patchwork Times.

How Did This Happen?

Well, it's like this, Doc, I was standing at the kitchen counter finishing up dinner and told Aud to come get her plate fixed. 

Aud walks into kitchen and begins to fill her plate and I hear "oops" and then I feel pain!

For some reason, not sure why, she has a sharp 8" long knife on her plate and it has slipped off, and landed point down in my foot!!!!!   Who walks approximately 8 feet with a sharp knife on one edge of a plate?  Beware of mothers!  They can always find a way to get to you!

I had sharpened 2 knives about 30 minutes prior to this so we could use them to cut the pork chops I had grilled and to cut cantelope.  Since she was coming into the kitchen to get the porkchop I knew she hadn't cut that yet.  What are you doing with the knife on your plate?  Cutting my cantelope.  Well, great, cantelope juice in my foot, whoopee!!!

My foot is bleeding like a stuck pig.  I have a kleenex on it pressing down to try to stop the bleeding, and  I am thinking when is the last time I had a tetanus shot and I cannot believe this.  I sit there for a few minutes and the bleeding hasn't stopped so I hobble into the bathroom, get some hydrogen peroxide, lift my foot up to the sink (that was a sight to behold, let me tell you) pour half the bottle of peroxide over it, grab a washcloth and hold it on the foot.

It quits bleeding in a few minutes,  and I get up to go find the tetanus shot record that I need, and it starts bleeding again.  Great!  I finally get it under control enough to go get the shot record, and hobble back into the living room and call the local clinic to see if I need to get another one because it has been 6 years since I had one.  (the one I had to get when I sewed a needle through a finger, talk about fun!)

No, you don't need another one for another year or so, but you need to come in if the bleeding doesn't stop or you need stitches.

Stiches?  OMG, hadn't thought of that.   It is 7 pm and they close at 8, so if I am going to do something I have to do it now.  I have put Neosporin on it and covered it with a bandage and taped it good, but haven't checked to see how deep it is.  Yuk, this thing is going to need stitches.

Hobbling to the car with a houseshoe on the affected foot and a sandal on the other, I drive myself to the local clinic, about 2 miles away.

Get there, fill out paperwork, and don't have to wait but perhaps 5 minutes and this sweet young man comes to get me and takes me to a small room to take my vitals.  125 over 85 bp, heart rate 106, oxygen 95, ok, I can live with that.  bp a little high for me, but not to shabby considering.  Then he has me stand on the scales and gets my weight, we are not going there, and takes my height.  I have not removed my shoes but figure that won't matter.

By the way, what is my height?  5'3".....WHAT???  Last time I checked I was 5'5" without shoes!
I have shrunk over 2 inches!  No wonder my pants are so long!

I get taken to another room, wait for doctor.....

Hello, how are you?
Great!  I am bleeding from a knife wound and I am 2 inches shorter than I was!
Well, hop up here and let's look at that foot!
Hmm,  how did you do this?  ( see above)
you are going to need 2 stitches in here.
Oh wonderful!  I hate needles.
Well, I can put 2 sticks in your foot to deaden or 4 sticks in your foot for the stitches
Ok, I guess I would prefer just 2 sticks.  OW!  Hurts!
So I have two beautiful little stitches in my foot, it is covered with this flesh colored bandage, and I am not to get it wet or remove bandage for 24 hours.
Go home and prop your foot up and come back it if starts bleeding, and so on and so on.
See you in 7 to 10 days to have the stitches removed.

Add another adventure to the road of life.

Hope your weekend is going smoothly.

You Bid Three With Those Points?

Back in another time in a galaxy evidently far far away from reality I played duplicate bridge; was fortunate enough to have good teachers and partners, and traveled to several states in search of the elusive master points that are used to establish your place in the bridge world pecking order.

I absolutely loved to play and I got to be pretty good at it for a few years, and then life stepped in and said that's enough of that, and I had to quit playing.

When I first moved to Oklahoma, I played a couple of times but couldn't seem to find a partner that I thought I would enjoy playing with, so I didn't pursue it.  Time passed, and about 3 years ago I played a couple of games, and got kind of interested, but that didn't pan out so I had not played again until last month when one of my old bridge partners came to town.  We didn't do very well, but it sure did rev up my "bridge playing" need.

My daughter Summer texted me (we do better if we don't talk to each other in person, lol) and told me she had an old friend she had run across that used to play bridge and thought the two of us might enjoy playing.  Would I be interested?

Sure

Ok, John (the friend) comes over Thursday night to "discuss" our bridge game.  When you are playing duplicate bridge, it is a little more complicated than regular bridge, and there are lots of rules and conventions, etc, that can "enhance" or "screw up" your bridge game big time.

We agreed to see if we can play together and made plans to play last Saturday afternoon.   I have quite a few Master Points so we have to play in a higher category than he would if he was playing with someone on his level.  That sounds conceited, but I didn't make the rules.  He said he wouldn't mind playing at a higher level, and I assured him I didn't play real well because I had forgotten a bunch and had no memory.

Oh, I also have no tact at all anymore, never had much, but none at all now it seems.

Ok.  Scene set......

We are playing along and seem to be doing ok.   I bid by the seat of my pants and gut instinct a lot because I do have good card sense most of the time.

We have a couple of missteps, my bidding, his defense, I point out my own really stupid mistakes and the ones he hasn't played long enough to correct, lol. He takes it all very well.

Add to this "trying to be a good partner and have some patience" and "keep from screwing up", I have this horrible, raging headache from hell that is making me dizzy and nauseous, and I am so not really together.

Up comes a hand that he opens, I make a bid, he makes another bid (which he has to do under the conventions we are using) and I make the bid of 3 hearts.  It goes pass, pass, pass.

His hand comes down, I take one look at it and say
I can't believe you bid three hearts with that!
Perry, I didn't bid three hearts, you did!
Oh, lol, good thing I made contract,  isn't it!

You probably had to have been there to appreciate the humor?

Did we do well? no
Is there a promise of having a good partnership?  yes
Are we going to play again?  yes  
This coming weekend.

Pray for John.

Me, I don't think it will help at all, unless you pray that I am in this galaxy and in the state of Oklahoma next weekend when the games are going on, lol.

Will let you know how it goes.

Aud Tales

Haven't posted too much about Miss Aud lately.  She has had some rough patches the last few months, and I have had some too, and we just haven't done a lot of "fun" things.

However, wherever she is, there is always something going on. lol.

The last part of May I was somewhere and someone asked me if I had a blue rinse in my hair, you know, like the old ladies wear.  I had to laugh because they were talking about the purple streaks in my hair. I have had purple streaks in my hair for several years, but since my thyroid is finally straightened out, my hair doesn't seem to keep the purple in.

When Aud and I were at Shelva's (hairdresser to Perry and Aud) in June, she put purple in my hair and I was letting it set while she did Aud's and Aud says,
I want pink in my hair today.
Mother, please don't
Yes, I want some pink in my hair.
If I had known that I wouldn't have put purple in mine. Please don't.

Well, of course she did, which did not set well with me.  Why?
How would you like to go somewhere with your almost 95 year old mother and people ask you if you were sisters?
lol, happens every time we both have colored streaks in our hair.

So, I decided this month, I would put no purple in my hair.  It was all gone from June by the time we went to Shelva's last week anyway.

No purple for me today.
You don't need it, Perry, says hairdresser to Perry and Aud, your hair looks like it has a purple tint to it anyway and it is a different color than it was last month.
Great!  I look like a little old lady with a blue wash, is that what you are saying?
Hah, Hah, says the hairdresser to Perry and Aud. No, but I think secretly she is telling me a white lie.

Put pink in mine today says Aud.
Here are pics of Aud with her pink hair.

Typical of the conversations we seem to be having these days:

Why did you buy Neosporin for me, I have plenty.

Because you put it on the grocery list.

No I did not, I put campho phonique (sp, too lazy to go look) on there.

No you didn't.

Where is the grocery list?

Well, I threw it away, (bad words!)

Well, it said camphor phonique.

No, it didn't

Yes it did.

I will NEVER through another grocery list away again.

So, put it on the grocery list.....this was 2 days ago

Guess who finally put it on the grocery list today?  Me of course.

------

I need to go close the garage doors, it is dark. (me)

You have already locked up the garage. (Aud)

No, I haven't.  I have been asleep.  (trouble with vicious migraines lately)

Well, I didn't lock the door.

Must have been the resident ghost again, huh?  Gee, we haven't seen him for awhile.

I think the trouble comes from her being the youngest of 5 children and since I am an only child I must be older than she is, right?  Makes perfect sense to me. 

-------------

Visit to Doc's office on Friday.  

Doc says..your blood pressure is a little higher than usual.  You need to get rid of all stress.

Aud says...well, i just hate to shoot her….

---------------------

Look up severe headaches in Google.....stress is one of the main causes .......Hah!

I Just Love Gadgets!

Ever so often (seems like every other day, lol) I find a notion or a "gadget" that I just "have to have".  A friend of mine has one of these

The Little Red Craft Iron

So, why do you have this iron? asked the Little Red Hen
Why the better to iron my appliqué when I am prepping it, She replied.
And where can I buy this?  asked the Little Red Hen
Why, here, of course.

Well, this is the site of Bunny Hill Designs, says the Little Red Hen
Yes, says my friend.
Well, what else can I find at this site that I will just love?

Why, this of course.

Oh, will this teach me how to do the wonderful kind of applique that I see on Bunny Hill Designs?

Why, yes it will!  If any thing can help you learn to do beautiful needler turn applique, it will be this CD.

I think she may be right, too.  I bought the CD, I have watched it, fallen in love with the method, and as soon as I can get all the "stuff" caught up a bit, I intend to try to do some of it.  It is just beautiful and looks so simple!  There will be more later on this I hope.

Then, I was looking at Fat Quarter Shop and found something that is the perfect answer for me to the problem I have about taking "just a few pins" somewhere.  They always fall out of the little plastic containers and I have tried several homemade objects to stick them in, and nothing compares to this.

Is this neat looking or what?

And when you open it up, there is a magnetic lining for pins and needles!  The best part about this is that the magnetic part is confined to the inside. When the lid is closed it does not magnetize on the outside.

You can find them in two "colors" here and here.  I think it is one of those "must haves".

Hope this week is going well for all of you!

Design Wall Monday

The beginning of Grace.  

I have all of the pieces cut out and am now starting on the assembly. Of course I have all of these stars to make, but the borders are cut out and ready to go on when I finish the stars.  I bought quite a bit of extra fabric for this quilt to make it "my size", so I will have enough squares left over for something else.  Not sure what, maybe another one of those table toppers I keep saying I am going to make, huh.

And then there is this.  Block two in my Kaffe Fassestt Flower Basket quest.  two down and several to go. 

Thanks to Judy for hosting Design Wall Mondays.  Be sure to check out the other beautiful projects that are always showing up over there.

I Have Quilts!

Finally, in spite of eye problems, etc, I have in my hot little hands, two quilts with binding finished, washed,  and ready to  use.

This is my Road to Oklahoma.  I have collected reds, blues and offwhites since I started quilting in 1999 and finally started a quilt out of them in 2007.  Now it is finally finished!  

This is my version of Diamond in the Rough, a pattern by Deborah Maddy.  I took a class at the local quiltstore taught by Marilyn Karper about 2008 because I figured that was the only way I would ever make a quilt with this block.  However, this is "my way".  I did the sashing and borders differently than the pattern calls for.  The fabric is all Thimbleberries except for the backgrounds, and they are just offwhite small prints. The back of the quilt is composed of large squares of the Thimbleberry fabrics I used in the quilts.

My Luna Notte is at the quilter's and it should be done in a couple of months.  I feel like I have some progress going on!!!

Catching Up

If it gets any hotter up here I think I am going to hibernate until Winter and then I can grip about the cold.  It has been over a hundred every day for the last couple of weeks I think.  Feels like it anyway.

Was down in the bowels of Texas last weekend and it was hot down there too.  I was on I35 on a Sunday and, OMG!  Traffic was unreal, both lanes each way going 80 and motorcycles weaving in and out and cars cutting in front of anyone they could.  I think they were all sun crazed or thought they must be in LA or something.

I stopped somewhere, not sure where it was, just to get out of the fray for a while, and get some gas etc. in case there was a wreck and I was stuck for hours. I got back in the rat race and sure enough the traffic slowed to a crawl and this car besides me was honking and pointing to the back of my car and I looked out the rear view mirror, and lo and behold, I had left the gas cap off and the panel open.  Yuk!  So I pulled off the road, got out in the 100 degree heat with all these people staring at me, put on the gas cap, got back in the car, and a truck let me get back in, thank you very much trucker, if you read my blog.

I was so tired by the time I got to my cousin's she asked me if I wanted a margarita and I said yes!  So I had two of them, and promptly took a nap for about an hour, lol.  Had the most delicious meal and then I slept through a couple of tv shows and went to bed.

Monday, I got back on I35 and headed to OKC.  Put the car on cruise at 80 and said, I'm going home, don't care if I get a ticket, thank goodness I didn't, and got home in record time.  And it is nothing but hot up here!

Aud is doing pretty good.  She has her good days and bad days.  She did had a wonderful time while I was away.

A friend of mine stayed with her some and my grandson got her to go out to eat a couple of nights, and he took her to see his mother one day for a few hours.  She was worn out when I got home, but full of stories about the cake she and Jackson (grandson)made (it was not good, lol) and the pecan pie she took to Summer's (her granddaughter) house and the fact that my ex husband ate all but 2 pieces of it . Since Aud told them she had to bring a piece back for me, that left 1 piece for four people, lol.  Love it!

I went to the library a couple of days ago to pick up some new books and got her the new Nora Roberts , Amanda Quick, and Susan Elizabeth Phillips.  So she reads the Roberts, I read the Phillips, and then yesterday she starts reading the Phillips.  I go back to her room last night to check on her and see how she is enjoying the book, and she is reading Black Heels and Tractor Wheels by Pioneer Woman.

How did you like the Phillips book, Aud?   (assume she has read it since that was what was reading when last I saw her reading)
I haven't finished it.
What do you mean you haven't finished it.  If that is so, why are you reading the Pioneer Woman book?
I told you I haven't finished it.
Aud, this is not the Phillips book!
This is the one I am reading.
Ok, I get the Phillips book and show her where she has turned it over on a table, and,
Oh, I was reading that, wasn't I?
No wonder this wasn't making much sense but I think I have read it, talking about the Pioneer Woman
Yes, you read that a month or so ago.
Well I thought I remembered some of it.
So we laugh and I don't think anymore about it.
Today, guess what she is reading?
The rest of the Pioneer Woman book that she has already read.  :)

At least the TV is off for a while.

Me, I have been working on the Grace quilt kit I got from Fat Quarter Shop.  It must be sold out, couldn't find it on FQS site, but the pattern is  Lucky Stars by Atkinson Designs.  It is really going to be a beautiful quilt.  Hopefully it won't take me a year to get it done, lol.

I guess that catches me up for now. I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday and remembers why we are celebrating!

What Was I Thinking!

It has been a while since I have posted.  Lots of life has happened.

I did finally finish my basket quilt.  As I mitered the last border on it yesterday and laid it out on the floor so I could see it,  I could only think ....what in the world was I thinking!  I only wanted a table topper from this fabric, but it kept growing and growing and growing, until finally it emerged into this 95 x 100 queen size quilt.

I think I also possess enough scraps from the fabric to make at least a 40 x 40 table topper.  Is this what is called "two for one"?

I told my quilter the first of January I would have it to her by the 15th, and could she get it back to me by the middle of February.  Hah!  I was beginning to think I meant next year!

Anyway, it is finally finished and I just love it!  Hope you do too!

A Note to Evelyn

Dear Evelyn,

I will reply to your request for information about the Berninas I have here because I cannot reply to a nonreply email.  To receive personal emails you must have an email address to reply to.

Background:

When I bought my 220 Bernina I only wanted a machine that had a great quarter inch foot and a beautiful satin and blanket stitch.  Since I already had the Pfaff that did other things I only needed those 3 things in a machine and I did buy a quarter inch foot and a straight stitch face plate.  It was also light enough I could take it with me to a class if I wanted to.  It does not have the capacity to make button holes but that wasn't important to me.  It is a wonderful smaller machine and does not disappoint me in any way.  It does exactly what I wanted it for and does a great job.

When I started sewing on the 220 I remembered how much I had enjoyed my previous Berninas, and the size of the Pfaff quarter inch seam was not compatible with the 220 one.  So, I bought the 440 because I wanted the features of that machine and it would be compatible with the 220 seams as far as sewing was concerned.  Now I can start a quilt on one machine and finish it up on another and know the seams will be the same size.

 I did sell my Pfaff and I do miss the Integrated Dual Feed on it.  It was great, but I gained the ability to sew using two machines on the same project.  That has become important to me because my sewing areas are not contingent.

Now to answer your question.

Hello - I'm thinking of buying a Bernina 220 and wonder if you could give your appreciation of it - I see you upgraded to a 440 - what was the difference like? Will I be disappointed with the 220? I believe it does not come with the feet I want.. 1/4 inch, walking foot and free machining or darning foot... does the 440 come with these or is it worth getting 220 and buying the extras? 
I would really appreciate your view, Many thanks, 

If you can afford the 440, go for it.  The main reason I bought it is it has a feature that allows you to tighten the weight of the top foot and helps prevents fabric slippage when you are piecing.  I hope that makes sense to you.  It is the closest thing to the IDF of the Pfaff that is available in this price range. It has many more options as far as stitches are concerned than the 220 and, depending upon the dealer or the current package Bernina is featuring, will come with several feet you are wanting, and sometimes the walking foot is included (it was with mine).   It also does buttonholes if you need that. Mine came with a quarter inch foot, a darning foot, the Bernina Stitch Regulator and several other feet. It does have an embroidery module that you can get for it but I am not into that so I did not get that option.  Perhaps later I will add that.

Before I forget, the 220 and 440 feet are interchangeable, as is the straight stitch foot plate. And the feet are not cheap. I did buy foot 20 for embroidery because I like it better for embroidery as it is more open.

I did keep my 220 and I use it mainly for machine embroidery because I can set it up with the thread I want to use and the foot and foot plate and leave it that way.  I use the 440 for the main quilt I am sewing on because I have my design wall behind it and this is the area I use to put my quilts together on.  I also use it for machine embroidery if I need to.  I love having the option of doing one thing for a while, and then switching to something else to work on.  The machines are in different rooms.

I have now added a featherweight which is also compatible with the Berninas as far as stitch width is concerned.  I have set it up in a spare bedroom that has a tv in it and I can piece in there and watch tv when my other two areas are in use for other projects.  I am very fortunate to have the 3 areas and I can now have 3 projects going without having to move things around.   Added bonus is exercise going from room to room, lol.   I really do love the concept.  It is counterproductive when I have to move something to do something else and can't remember what I was doing.  Plus I can only cut out fabric for a little over an hour and then I am exhausted from standing, and this way I can do other things instead and not have to put my cutting stuff away.

I don't think you would be disappointed with either machine, frankly.  They are both great.  Right now with it being Bernina's 40th Anniversary you can get great financing on all of their machines and no finance charges using Bernina's Credit Card on purchases over $1,000.

After rereading this I am not sure I have really given you a concrete answer.  I will just say I love both machines,  but if you can only have one and can do it, go for the 440.  It is heavy and not fun to lug around, but it is a great machine.

My original Bernina was an 830 and I sewed on it for 35 years before I finally upgraded to the newer ones. They are built to last, that's for sure.

Hope this helps, if you have other questions, email me again, but be sure you give me an email address I can respond to please.

A Touch of Spring

The pansies are just beautiful this year and my lilies are getting green, green, green.  The daffodils are growing, all of the groundcovers are just beautiful, but the poor tulips...don't think they are going to make it.  We are supposed to have 90 degree weather by Sunday!

Making Lemonade

out of lemons with lemons. 

I have started X-Rated, the Schnibbles quilt by Miss Rosie.  I think I know why she called it that, lol.  At least those are the kind of words I used.  I was so frustrated in trying to keep the rows straight when I was laying it out......

I went to Home Depot, bought a piece of PURPLE insulation board, had them cut it in two pieces, a five foot and a 3 foot  (48 inches wide) and proceeded to use my good old duct tape and some leftover batting and make myself a design wall for this size quilt.

Doesn't look real good, but it sure works well!!  portable and not expensive!  The best kind!!! Oh, and don't laugh to much, it is really pretty neat.  One of these days when I have a whole "pretty" piece of flannel, which I think works better for design walls than batting, I will make it look better maybe. :)

See how nicely the quilt pieces go on this?  

I was able to turn the board so I could check the placement of the colors.  Not too good of a color choice for this pattern, not enough contrast, and the LQS didn't have the light gray that goes with this collection. So I chose the white, which washes out the colors I think, and that is what I am using. 

The great thing about this size "design wall" is I can put it up right beside my sewing machine and pick up the pieces straight off of the surface without moving.  Works great!  Maybe, just maybe, I will get this sucker together without messing it up.

Also managed to get my Kaffe BOM started.  This is what it is supposed to look like when it is finished.

This is the first month.  I am machine appliquéing it and am going to try to keep up.  Hah!  Wish me luck on doing that.

Will get back to my Luna Notte baskets next week I hope, and hopefully, the Market Baskets.  Check out Judy's blog to see what other people have managed to get done lately.

A Little Quilting Going On

My heart goes out to all of the people affected by the Tsunami.  Such a dreadful thing to happen and I certainly hope the situation in Japan gets better fast for all of our sakes.

I did do a little quilting this weekend.  My quilt room is still not together and I can't find things but I did manage to get enough of it organized to get some of my Market Baskets made.  I also managed to get all of the handles cut out and ready to go.  I have over a hundred of these darlings to make in 4 different sizes, lol, so I started on the small ones...it gives me a feeling of accomplishment. :)

 I am using 3 different backgrounds to keep it interesting.  I managed to get 17 of the 58 4 inch baskets done out of one background.  Check on Sharie's progress, she is probably further along than I am.  This is all I will probably get done this month, but at least I have  it started.

This is the center of my Luna Notte quilt finished and waiting on the borders.  You can see some of them on the ladder on the right.  I am adding multiple borders and am going to miter the corners so I am procrastinating lol.  However, I am going to work on that some this week hopefully.

This is a portion of the Christmas stockings that a friend and I are making for the local guild for a giveaway.  She did the embroidery and I did the "sizzix thing" (sp?) and now she is going to put fur tops on and sew them up.  They will be beautimous!

Here are some photos of my quilting room.  When the floor was pulled up we found some mold so the floor had to be treated and then we had to wait a week for everthing to get dry and then the new floor had to be put in and then the "movers" had to come back and put everything back in place.  That is why you see all of the stickers on the containers.  It did not all go back in the room.  I ended up with two huge boxes full of backings that are now in another bedroom.  I will show you pics of that "fabric storage" when I get it finished. 

My new ironing table, repurposed from a maple chopping block Aud had made 20 years ago and we no longer have room for in the kitchen.  It works great and takes up less room.  My daughter helped me staple the ironing fabric to the table surface and it was so hard the staples didn't go in very far.  Being the mother of two little girls she just happened to bring "tiger" duct tape which we used to help keep the staples from ripping my fingers when I move the table around and to make the ends look a little better, hah!  lol....it makes me giggle.

From the doorway

Left side of room

closet areas

Be sure you check out Judy's Place to see what other people are doing.  Hope everyone has a great week!

Is It Over?

Is this past winter really over for this area?  I have lilies pushing up through the mulch and pansies blooming.  Not sure what happened to all of those tulips I planted.  Haven't seen hide or hair of them yet.  I have a feeling they are not going to make it.

Things have been a little off around here since Christmas and I am hoping that spring will give Aud and I both a little "get up and go".

I made a "pact" to start on a Basket Quilt in February with Sharie.  Then life stepped in, with a huge "gotcha" laugh and said, no, no, no, you have to wait awhile.  So it has been a while and I am hoping life will hide long enough to allow me to get a little caught up in my quilting.

I have collected batiks for several years, and these boxes represent the "smaller" pieces I have.  All I can say to this is I had no idea I had this many, lol.

Of course I have to make the quilt at least queen size  so I got out the glue and made some copies and made my pattern larger.  Lots of baskets!

This is the selection I came up with, who knows, it may change.  The lights are the background, and the handles are the green in the bottom right hand corner.  I am going to "try" to do them one block a week, and even as I say this, I know it isn't going to happen.  However, I am going to try. 

I guess this is my design wall this week.  Visit Judy at Patchwork Place for links to what others are doing. 

Nag, Nag, Nag

My personal assistant has informed me I have to blog about something, even if it is to state that this blog is under investigation, lol.

I have been hiding out during the holidays for one reason or another, but they are past now and I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year.  And so begins 2011.

Aud and I are doing ok.  We have survived a rocky beginning to the New Year due to several lovely incidents.

We had a slab leak occur a couple of weeks ago, so ended up with a huge plumbing bill to reroute the hot water pipes from the hot water heater in the garage to the kitchen via the front bath.  Now that has been repaired, and the wood floor in my small sewing room is ruined.  To re-do the floor I will have to move everything out of that room.  Including what is in the closets!  Hello!!!  I don't think I want to do that.  I am in a dither just thinking about it.

And, the dishwasher we put in during our remodel has come loose from the cabinet it sits under so someone is coming to fix that on Monday.

And the header on the blinds that are on the patio doors is defective.  The new one has come in and a workman will hopefully be here next week sometime to fix that.

And the small Frigidaire fridge/freezer I bought in August has stopped working, and I can't get the repairman for Frigidaire to return my calls.

And it is cold in this house.  We can't use the fireplace because of the oxygen so we have 4 space heaters we are using as supplements throughout the house. Of course our weather is like everyone else's this year, just awful and cold.  The pipe for ice in the fridge "freezed" it's little self up 3 nights running.

So, other than that, "person",  how'd you like the show.  (Wouldn't you know, I can't remember the name that is supposed to go in there.) :)

I did go to Houston on a fast 3 days trip the last week in December.  And of course it rained the whole time we were there.  I had forgotten how cold wet rain is in December.  Got to my bones.  Was looking forward to eating some decent Mexican Food while I was there, and didn't get to.  I think Ninfa's has closed shop, couldn't find any of them open anymore. Did have some wonderful scallops at Landry's in The Woodlands.  And I did visit It's a Stitch in Humble, a wonderful quilt store that I used to get to a lot when I lived down there.

I went with my oldest daughter.  She drives like a "you know what", so I was a white knuckled flyer for 1056 miles.  We did eat breakfast at a wonderful little restaurant in Huntsville located on the downtown square.  It actually served real ham!  And lots of it.  Don't remember the name, but it is the only one there so you can find it I am sure.   I reconnected with some old friends, and went by a couple of houses I had lived in, and looked for another one we lived in when Summer was 3 (that was a long time ago) and it was raining so hard we were afraid we would get stuck so we didn't go there.

Still working on my basket quilt.  It is coming along, but nothing close enough to be shown.  I do have 2 quilts out to the quilter so should have some pics eventually on those.

I think that is enough for now.  Watching the NFL playoffs this weekend.  Good games if you are into football.

 I hope everyone has a wonderful week ahead.