BLOGSPOT PROBLEMS..................

I have tried to answer comments through blogspot to no avail.  Apparently they have a problem and they are working on it.  It has been several days.  I don't understand that, a day maybe but this has been going on over a week.  It sounds like their staff needs to go to school. 

If there is anyone that is looking for an answer to a question send me an email.  I have tried to make comments to a couple of blogs without success.  Sorry............

ON MY DESIGN WALL - THE PRETZEL

Last Monday, I went to Curves.  As you know I have been going to Curves since about the first of the year.  I really enjoy it and feel that it is good for my health.  I don't know what I did but I messed up my leg really, really bad.  I have been in severe pain since Monday.  I have used ice, heat and Tylenol to no avail.  Finally yesterday, I went to the Clinic.  I needed something for pain.  They didn't really say what I did but they gave me a shot (anti-inflammatory) and two prescriptions one a heavy duty Motrin and the other is Hydrocodon.  I am still in severe pain, but maybe a teeny bit better.  They say at the Clinic that my dr. might want to do an MRI.  I see her on Thursday. 

I am not one to watch TV very much.  I have been glued to it.  I do not have the energy or the ability to get up and down to do my machine sewing so have been doing a lot of hand sewing.  I have been working on my hexagon - English Paper Piecing - project.  You have seen this in its beginning stages.  I am coming to the end of adding pretzels. 

Ignore the background pieces.  That is another quilt that I will be finishing up soon.  Actually you can see two quilts in the background. 

You need to click on this picture so you can see a larger version.  There is a pattern  - can you see it? 

The next time you see this it may be finished, that is the top.

Hope you all had a wonderful Memorial Day and many thanks to all past and present military people and their families for all your many sacrifices that you have given to this country.  Many probably don't realize that without your sacrifices we would not have a country.  Again Thank you, thank you, thank you.......

APRICOT AND FIG CHUTNEY AND AN ALLIGATOR STORY

copyright Sharie Paulson

I am making progress on my Fig Tree Quilt.  Fig Tree is coming out with a new line of fabric in October.  It is called "Buttercream and Roses."  It is gorgeous as all Fig Tree fabric is.  Since my intentions with this quilt is to have at least one piece of fabric from each line since the beginning (2004) to the end of 2011, I will finish the center of the quilt and save the borders for the new Fig Tree Fabric in Oct.  I will make the back so it will be done and I should be able to finish up shortly after I can get the fabric. 


Now the alligator story...........
My son, Vic, last week, was driving down highway 90.  It is a two lane road.  From a distance he could see that there was something in the road.  But as he said, he sees things in the road all the time.  There are a lot of wild animals that are not too smart about staying off the roadways.  He is traveling roughly about 60miles per hour.  Coming towards him is a semi truck.  He realizes he cannot swerve and about the same time he realizes that there is a 7 foot alligator across his lane of traffic. He did not have any choice except to run over it.  He does not know if he killed it.  If he missed the head and only ran over the tail it may have survived.  They are tough. 

Hope all is well on your end...........

On my Design Wall and etc...........

copyright Sharie Paulson

I have a lot of Fig Tree Fabric.  I designed this quilt just to use that fabric.  Fig Tree has been designing fabric since 2004.  I have at least one piece of Fig Tree from every line that they have designed, that is 19 lines of fabric.  This quilt will have at least one design from every line they have created.  I am sending them an email to see if they are going to release any other designs between now and Dec. 31.  When I make the label I want to tell the story of the quilt and I want include anything up until the end of the year. 

I need to buy a new camera.  This picture is not true in color.  It is not what you see is what you get.  It is a Canon, thinking that it would be a good point and shoot camera, but it really does not do the job.  Any suggestions?

The right drain pipe

Across the yard to the end of the hedge - turn left - up the side of the house

I have had a busy day.  I took the cat to the vet for her yearly checkup and shots.  All was well with him.  Then Roto Rooter came to clean out the drain pipe for my mechanical system.  To me it makes good sense that this pipe would go in a straight line to the ditch.  So Vic (my son) Judy L.'s dad and I found a pipe (which was not easy since it is underground) going straight from the mechanical system to the ditch it made sense that we had the right pipe.  We rented an electric snake.  After many hours we found mud but not the other end of the pipe.  We gave up and so this morning I called Roto Rooter.  There is two methods that they use, one a snake and two water.  Since Vic and I had tried the snake I decided to use the water.  Besides the Roto Rooter man told me it was the safest way to go (no broken pipes).  So they sent their hose up the pipe and it kept going to no end.  They could not understand that.  So they decided to walk the ditch.  At my driveway they could hear water.  They took a shovel dug out a little ways, removed some leaves and there is a pipe.  Who would have ever thought that the pipe would cross my yard and go up the side of the house.  The other pipe we have no idea what that is for unless it is a drain for the former swimming pool, but I had the understanding that the pool drain pipe went behind the house.  Who knows..........

Then this afternoon I spent it sewing at a friends with other friends.  Of course we had good things to eat and had a lovely afternoon.

Hope all is well on your end............

On my Design Wall and etc.........

I am rested up from my trip to Paducah.  It was an experience trying to get in and out of the van.  We did not have a running board.  We needed a stool, and thought seriously of stealing one we saw at a museum.  We could not bring ourselves to steal that stool.  We went to Sam's they didn't have one.  So we struggled, and believe me it was a struggle.   Thankfully, I was not the only one in fact it was nearly everyone.  My big problem is having short legs.  I really think it wore me out.  Since returning home, the hotel we stayed in flooded.  If that quilt show had been one week later, I am not sure they would have had it.  They evacuated the entire town of Metropolis.  That is where our hotel was.  Then of course we had to cross the bridge into Paducah.  You can read more about my trip to Paducah in the previous posting.

Off the Grid

I finished up "Off the Grid" top yesterday.  Hooray!!!!!  I have two quilts at the quilters.  I designed a new quilt top last night.  I am going to use up some of this fabric.  Hopefully it will go together quickly.  That is the idea.  Make some quilts that will finish up within a short period of time.  I am also working on my English Paper Piecing project at night while I watch tv.  You all saw it in it's beginning stages.  I will post it when I get the top finished.  I would really like to finish it up.  I have another sitting in a project box, but I am trying my best not to start it.  Temptations..................

There is not a lot going on here.  It is starting to get hot and muggy.  The best place to be is in the house, so thus I stay in and quilt a lot.  I do have some projects I would like to get done this year starting with having a whole house generator put in.  Hurricane season is just around the corner.  My big fear is that I would not have power for many days, weeks or possibly a month in this unbelievable heat.  So this week, I am going to call and see what I need and have one installed.  Boring things in life, but they must be done.  Wish I could say I was doing something really exciting, like a trip somewhere.  I do plan a trip to Iowa later in the year.  Iowa, has anyone thought of Iowa as a distination?

Hope all is well..........

PADUCAH ADVENTURES

Allen, Dot, Glenna, Verna, Willey, Beth, Sharie

I am just back from Paducah.  We had been following the weather there for several days before we left.  The Ohio River continued to rise.  Our big concern was being able to get to our hotel since it is on the Ohio River.  We decided we were going to go anyway.  Five of us flew out of Houston and three flew out of San Antonio on Tuesday morning, arriving in Nashville, rented a 12 passenger van and off we went.  On our way to Paducah we saw rising waters and evidence of a tornado that had been through the area.  When we arrived at our hotel we found Harrah's next door was completely surrounded by water.  The hotel had water on three sides.  The hotel had a load of large gravel brought in to make a drive so we could get into the parking lot of the hotel. 


We ran between the raindrops up until Thursday.  Thursday, the weather was really nice.  Because of flooding some of the show had to be moved to other buildings.  Out near the mall, there were two large stores, side by side, that had closed so thus they moved everything that would have been in the flooded buildings there. 

We had two drivers, Beth and Dot, and they did a wonderful job.  There is no way on this earth that I would have tried to get that big van around in the traffic and with people going in every direction.  We found the food was very good.  Dot, Allen and Beth have been going to Paducah for years.  They kept us from going astray.  They knew the best times to go somewhere and the best places to eat.  They did a great job. 

Door Knobs on side of Harrah's Building Wed.



Door Knobs on side of Harrah's building Fri.

Harrah's - flooded, next door to the hotel we stayed in



Stop sign behind hotel



Fawn and the flooding Ohio River

.

We stayed in Metropolis, IL.  It is across the river from Paducah.  Metropolis is the home of Superman

Allen and Glenna




Superman - Metropolis, IL



Willey

 At first, I thought this lady was a statue.  She stood so still.  Every now and then she would change her position.  What a way to make a buck, but I am sure she gets a "charge" out of the comments of people going by.  Some probably make her day. 

Statue Lady




Hancock's of Paducah

 


Blow-up Building

A few years ago, Paducah tore down a building that they used for the quilt show.  In it's place they poured a large concrete slab.  For the quilt show they erect a blow-up building on it.  It is amazing.  It is air conditioned, well lighted and you would never know that you are in a building they put up and tear down every year.  And what would a trip to Paducah be for a quilter without going to Hancock's?  I have bought on-line from Hancock's many times but have never been to the store.  I had no idea how large it was.  Don't look for any deals here though during quilt week there isn't any.  They do have flat folds at a reduced price, but everything else is at regular price.  I guess now I can say - I've been there. 

Allen

Judy Beskow Hoffman 1st place winner in Applique



Glenna



Dot's Quilt



Three in our group had quilts accepted at Paducah, Allen, Glenna and Dot.  Judy Beskow was not with us and didn't go to Paducah this year.  She is the 1st place winner in applique in the Hoffman Challenge.  Her quilt was in a special exhibit.  Judy is a member of our guild in Lake Charles, LA and the guild in Beaumont, TX



If you would like to see a list of the winners and their quilts the following is the link.

www.americanquilter.com/shows_contests/paducah/2011/quilt_contest/quilt_winners.php

We are looking forward to next years trip and hopefully we can do it without the storms and floods.