Storms, B-day Surprise & Computer Problems.

I have been off line for a couple of days due to computer problems. I have been sewing like crazy on a string quilt, almost done. Pictures later. We have been having some wild weather so I thought I would share some of the pictures.




Thursday night I got a super surprise. My college age son showed up for a surprise visit. I had no clue, my daughter kept saying she had a secret but would not blab. lol well this was it.

Sunday is my birthday so that is why he came home for the weekend. My best friend's birthday is today. Last night my son was my driver. We went to a Luau birthday party at the tavern I used to lease. Pot luck food, karaoke and a live band. It was so much fun!

I am really moving slowly this morning.

Relaxing at the Snake River

I know two posts in one day. My DH asked me to go down to the River with him this evening. I usually don't go I sew. Well tonight I decided to shock him and went with him. lol The Snake River runs on the back side of our field. A few years ago some people built a house down by here and I haven't been down here since. Well the house is a great big (way over built for the area ..... farms few houses) anyways about a year ago they let it go in foreclosure and is empty.

The island there on the left sure has grown since I was last down here

DH caught a cat fish, let it go. They taste like mud. (no matter what you soak them in)

Pretty wild iris's

Lovely Sunset at 9:30 pm I am always amazed at how long it stays light here in the summer. All in all a wonderful evening.

Getting some stuff done.

I joined a pin cushion swap on one of my chatting groups on Ebay RQQ. I was looking around on the Internet and got sucked into a couple of flicker groups that had 100s of pictures of really cute pin cushions. I am not one that follows patterns. ( recipes either) I just look at something and take it apart in my mind and go for it. So I decided what I was going to make. It is really cute. I can't show pictures as The lady this is for may follow my blog and I want her to be surprised. So here are some unfocused pictures.

I received some much needed advice from Beena and Sewmeow for my frustration on FMQ. I have decided to throw the quilt in the corner.

and do some practicing on 12" string blocks and make them into another raggy. No pressure that way. I have so many quilt tops lovingly pieced that I am afraid to mess up the machine quilting and mess them up. Maybe after some more practice and can get my guts up to dip my toe in the FMQing on a larger scale. (grin)

Quilting Frustration

I have been trying to free motion quilt this on my sewing machine. hmmmm it isn't working. The thread keeps breaking and knotting up with the bobbin thread and I don't have quilt enough room to do the spiral design I want. See here it is making birds nest. I have put in a new needle and re threaded everything over and over again, Plus it is hot! So I'm going to put it aside for another day and then figure it out.

Maybe I will just quilt it by hand! ARRRGGG! lol

I got a nice surprise in the mail today. I had forgotten about a give a way I won from http://quiltingonabudget.blogspot.com/2009/06/free-quilting-graph-papers.html?showComment=1243911123762#c1212549082415258763 Quilting on a budget. I love this blog so my wonderful ways to save $$$.

This is a good magazine. So my great ideas for space saving and organizing in my sewing cave.