I'm attending….are you?

New Gagdets

Who doesn't like new gadgets or toys!  For sure, I do.   Recently, I  purchased some new ones to make life easier and more fun.

My latest gadget is the "Big Shot" by Sizzix:

I can't wait to try it out.  Silly me, I didn't purchase the fabric dies yet!  I had to remedy that real fast so last night I went online and purchased two and can't wait for them to arrive.  I became interested in this product when Amy from During Quiet Time shared some quilts she made using Sizzix, where she is a part of the design team.

This is a beautiful pillow that she made using the Bottle die (which I just purchased!):

(Picture from Amy at During Quiet Time)

Also found this wall hanging using the same die:

(Pic from Sizzix website)

There are a few YouTube videos that show you how to use this die.  I'm looking forward to see if I can make something unique!

Recently, I enjoyed going to Arizona Quilt Guild quilt show with a friend.  While there, I purchased a couple of small items from vendors selling their wares.  The first item was this cool seam ripper:

I was a bit skeptical that this would work, even though I saw it demonstrated.  I brought it home and tried it out for myself and it works like a dream.  Really,  I don't know how I lived without it before.  It cost $22 and was worth every penny.

I also purchased this thread cutter for $1.49 but it doesn't work as well as I had hoped.  It's OK but not great:

I bought an old Bernina sewing machine, Record Electronic, made in 1979 from someone at work.  Her grandmother passed away and left this for her but she doesn't sew and offered to sell it to me.  She brought the machine to work and I did a test run on it.  I bought it right on the spot!  The motor runs so smoothly, like a gently hum that could you lull you to sleep.  It doesn't look fancy but I didn't buy it for its look.  I read wonderful reviews on this machine.  Many of the women who own it say they wouldn't ever part with it.  You can't get a better review than that.  The only thing that I miss with this machine is the button that allows you to choose what position the needle is left when you stop sewing.  I own a Janome 6600 Memory Craft machine but I really prefer to sew on the Bernina.  On the Janome, I have trouble sewing through layers of fabric.  It could just be a seam I'm sewing over and the Janome can struggle with it.  It's sad because I spent $1400 on it and it should do a much better job.

What gadget do you own that you wouldn't part with?  Please share!

Valentine Celebration

Happy Valentine's Day!

I realize that not everyone likes to celebrate this holiday for various reasons.  But I'm not one of them. I realize that it's a commercialized holiday but it doesn't have to be.  I'm happy receiving cheesy gifts as well as thoughtful ones.  The whole idea is about being aware of the person who lives in your heart and letting them know it.  

Today I finished my present for my husband, Zdenek.  He asked me to make him a pouch for his (really mine) GPS (remember, men don't get lost!).  I used Anna's pattern for this scrappy pouch and I'm pleased how it turned out.  I am a little concerned that I might have made this a bit too feminine.  If that's the case, I'll have a new pouch!  Because I'm pretty sure he knows I'm making this, I'll have to surprise him with filling it with some special trinkets.  Yes, I'm cheesy!

I have joined a local English Paper Piecing (EPP) club.  I'm happy to be able to get together with other women who love this style of quilting/sewing as much as I do.  A nice surprise was that I met a woman, Margaret, who works in the NICU at my hospital! It's a small world.  We sat next to each other and got to chat about ourselves and I believe that we'll become friends.  I worked on my "Hex on the Beach" quilt.   I have to remind myself to enjoy the "journey" of making this quilt and not to rush to get it done. I have a long way to go since I'm only on row three and there are 47 rows.

 While at the quilt store, I couldn't resist picking up some Valentine's fabrics; especially because of the 20% discount.  It's a miscellaneous pack with pink, red, brown and white fat quarters.  I haven't decided what I'm going to make with it but I did find a few ideas  in Pinterest.  There's  one idea I really like at SewMamaSew.

I also purchased myself a new desk chair for my sewing room.  I had an old chair that over the years lost its fluff!  It felt like I was sitting on a hard board.  I even tried to fix the chair by taking it apart and adding a blanket and stapling it back together (I know,very amateur!)  All it did was make me feel like I was sitting on a hill!  Either way, flat or hilly, the chair had to go.  I put together my chair with no help from my husband!  The good thing that comes from him traveling all the time is I'm self-reliant.  Of course, I might ask him to take a look at my chair to make sure it won't fall apart!

I hope your holiday is filled with happiness and fun!


                                                             Sew Long….Kim

February's BOM, Dyslexia and Me

I did my first BOM on the last day in January!  So this month, I wanted to do things differently:  I finished my block yesterday.  I didn't procrastinate this month so I'm giving myself a "You Rock!"

This month's BOM is called "Jack the Ripper."  It's part of Kristy's (Quiet Play) BOM, "And Sew On..."  Kristy is all about paper piecing and so is this BOM.  I took an online hand stitched class from Rachel (Stitched in Color) and was introduced to English Paper Piecing (EPP).  When I was having trouble with that, she said that we could also make some of our blocks using paper piecing.  I had never tried it so of course I googled it and found plenty of help.  Now I'm hooked!

Jack the Ripper

I love seeing my two blocks side by side:

When I introduced myself on this blog, I mentioned that I have dyslexia.  It's a learning disorder that deals mostly with reading, writing and speaking.  Generally, it takes me five times longer to learn most things than someone who doesn't have dyslexia.  When I was growing up life was very hard for me in school.  I wasn't diagnosed until I went to college.  A professor at the local college spent many months helping me learn how to get around my disability.   More than anything else, he gave me HOPE!  He never let me give up on myself.  

So you can imagine that if it takes me five times longer to make this block than it takes an average person, you wonder why I do it.  Well,  I have perseverance!  I KNOW it will take me a long time to do anything and have learned to accept that about me.  For example, I have to read a pattern over and over to make sense of it.  I know I will have mistakes that I will have to either correct or accept.  I am very stubborn when I want to do anything.  I won't quit!

When I made this block, I spent two and a half hours just picking out my fabrics.  Then I read Kristy's blog article on how to piece this together.   I printed my pattern and cut it out.  I noticed that the image of the block in the PDF file was backwards to what the pattern printed out:

 So in the picture above, the top paper is how it printed out, the left is my pattern that I cut out and taped together to help me have a pattern with all my fabric choices written on it and the right paper is a mirror image of the top paper.  My brain has a hard time processing a reverse image.  When I cut out the pattern pieces  and tried putting them in order I was getting frustrated because my brain can't easily process it.   So I know I needed to reserve (flip) the image and then I was able to put the pattern pieces together.  Altogether, it took me about an hour and a half to do this,  something that would take the average person maybe 15 minutes.

Next step is to lay the fabric choices out the way the pattern looks:

Continuing onto construction:

Well, this is the only picture I have:

I can tell you it took me about 4 hours to sew it together!  I printed the pattern on recycled paper that had writing on it.  I wouldn't do that again!  First, it was very hard to see my fabric through the back to check my placement and then when I ironed it, the print rubbed off onto the iron and then the fabric.  VERY BAD!  When piecing the three parts together, I would recommend that you take your time!  You'll be spending a lot of time with your REAL seam ripper if you don't.

So all in all, I put about 8-10 hours into making this block.  For many people this would be totally unacceptable but for me it's the norm.  I accept this as a fact of life.  I always have a good laugh when I see an estimated time on a project.  I love sewing and that's why I do it.  I don't care about how much time it takes me.   I love that I can make something beautiful.  It's maybe even more beautiful because I know how hard it is for me.

Just to write this simple post, it's a two to three-hour process.  I would like to post it right now but I will wait until my husband is home to go over it with me.  Did I mention I have the most wonderful husband?  He sits down with me every weekend (he's only home on weekends) to go through all my writings.  He knows how hard writing is for me and we go through it together .  He doesn't change what I write, he just makes sure the reader will be able to understand what I write.  Although I understand that having dyslexia is genetic and isn't any fault of my own, it's embarrassing.  People put so much importance on how we write and speak.  I am constantly reminded of this when I read blogs about how people are turned off by bad grammar and such.  My co-workers often tease me about words I can't pronounce correctly or when I can't get my thoughts out coherently.   I know they mean nothing by the teasing, they say it's endearing but if they knew what it's like for me, I'm sure they wouldn't do it.    I have a job in radiology taking images of our bodies so I don't have to rely on writing to make a living. Thank God for that!  I write a few times a week. I do it because it is difficult for me and I'm always striving to improve.

Only two percent of people who have dyslexia graduate college.  I am so proud to be included in that number.  Dyslexia is a part of who I am.  It is my weakness but it's also my strength.  I have more patience than most people.  I go after I want no matter what.  I don't give up easily.  I have to "over-learn" everything in order to understand it. I accept imperfection and wished society didn't praise perfection so much.

If you know a child with dyslexia please tell them they can have success in their lives.  They can do anything they want; it will just take HARD WORK and a LOT OF TIME. They need to figure out what they are passionate about and go for it.  If they have passion, work hard, the rest will follow.  I have graduated college, have my pilot's license, sew, cook, hike, read all the time, have two wonderful sons,  I am married and make a good living as a radiographer.  I want them to know they can have a wonderful life.  Life is never dull for me.  I get to laugh a lot at how things turn out, e.g. fabric cut the wrong way (Oops! I know how to sew it back together!)  Lots to enjoy!
  

Nice Relaxing Day

Pictures tell the story:

Crapes, Coffee and iPad…..Nice!

Zdenek and I went for a small hike…up the hill….

Made it into one of the little holes in the rocks…..

Just wondering…do I really have to hike down? I would love a slide about now!

No sewing but good day all the same.

How did you spend the day?

I Can't Stop Making Pouches!

It's OK, not wanting to stop making these great bags, right? 

It's all Anna's, from Noodlehead fault!  She designed a delightful, simple to sew bag with super easy instructions.

This pouch will be a "White Elephant" gift for a ladies' luncheon I'm attending today.  It's a shame I have to wrap it.  I was thinking of stopping at Michaels to pick up some cute, inexpensive stationary to stash inside.  That way  I wouldn't have to wrap it; it would just be thought of as the wrapping.  I know, SMART!

Some Pretty Sewing and Some Sweetness

  Isn't it cute!  I think so.  I used this free tutorial from Noodlehead.   It's called the Open Wide Zipper Pouch.   A cute catchy name for this bag.    The exterior fabric is from Laura Gunn's  Garden Wall, Wind Song in Multi color.  I love that the zipper travels along the back of the pouch and makes it easy to open and shut the bag.  Plus, I believe it gives you more room in the interior.  I made this one for a special lady, Anesthesiologist Emily.  She saw that I was suffering from a major headache when I was working and offered to try Acupuncture on me.  Now everyone who knows me,  knows I hate needles!  It doesn't matter how small.  I know what you are thinking; don't you start IVs on children?  Well, yes I do but it's not my arm!  I know, shameless.  Anyways, my head was pounding and I was willing to give it a try.  Surprising, about an hour later my headache was gone.  I thought she was so kind to help me during her busy day and made this bag in honor of her kindness.

On another note...

I came home from work on Monday and found these on my table:

Thanks Honey

Hope you have a wonderful evening....                      

                                                               Kim