Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Little Known Secret

Ok, I know this has nothing to do with quilting, but while I was looking throught the templates from the cutestblogontheblock.com, I came across a neat background design.
It is called the Candy Cane. Now most people know that my name is Candace, it's in my header, but what you don't know is that my maiden name was Caines. As a teenager I was called Candy and only started using Candace when I was working in an office and my business cards looked better using Candace instead of Candy. So I have added the new candy cane background in my blog for the time being.

Sunday, October 25, 2009

Waiting for Ideas to Jump Out at Me


Ok, I have not been sewing for the last couple years like I had or would like to be. As in past posts I have mentioned that the well has run dry for me and I can't seem to find a fill up tank. But for the last six weeks I have been on medical leave from work due to a neck problem which is probably turning out to be a pinched nerve. I will be seeing the neck specialist on the sixth. Anyway, one of the problems was numbness in my thumb and hand. So even if I wanted to sew, this was really putting the breaks on any sewing work I might like to do. Lately, through physical therapy I am feeling better and so I decided to try by sewing the most recent patches my kids have earned through scouts on their vests. After finishing that I was looking at a pile of scraps from my two projects made in my serger class and started cutting up 3 1/2 inch squares of the above fabric. Now I am waiting for ideas to come to me. I sure wish they would hurry and come to me as I will have to go back to work soon and then who knows when I will have time to sew again.

Thursday, August 13, 2009

Class #2

In yesterdays Serger class, Lizzy and I made tote bags. Lizzy used a sea animal pattern, and the tote will end up being a gift for her swim sister at the end of the swim season in November.

I used a cute penguin pattern and do not have a person in
mind for this tote. Also, I put corners on mine and Lizzy left hers square.






















Our next class was not decided yet by the teacher, she was too busy and over extended, so she did not have time to come up with an item. She is however, thinking of doing a two month project that would use both September and October.

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

Serger Club


Lizzy and I had our first class of the Serger Club. I got to use the store machine and Lizzy use mine. The first item was a table runner, that was actually so easy to make, that you could make several before you would get bored.
I did mine with Christmas fabric and since the backing was purple flannel, I just picked purple for the top.





Lizzy used Halloween fabric with a purple flannel backing. The backing is flannel to make the top heavier. Our next class is on the 12th and we will be making a tote bag. So now I am sewing again, however it is just during these classes. I need to find time to spend sewing, but I seem to spend my free time cleaning, weeding, lawn work, reading and playing on the computer. Oh well, one day at a time will see what happens that way.


Thursday, July 23, 2009

Friends Swap

Today my gifts came from Mary, my partner in the Friends Swap. Don't they look cute in the wrapping paper? As you can see my partner really got my sweet tooth going with the boxes of Mike and Ike's, but I love the cute little green frogs. They are so sweet. I have been noticing that I was not as good a swap partner as I could have been. I did spend lots of time to give just the right grifts to my partner and I wrapped each present separately, but I never even thought to label each gift with the letter to spell friends. Since this is the first swap I have ever been in, I hope that my partner and Khris can caulk it up to inexperience and will let me join in another swap in the future.

Saturday, July 11, 2009

Friends Swap

Well, I finally got my gifts mailed out for the Friends Swap that Khris from Sew Prim Khris held. It took me alot of time to decide what I was going to send out. I kept changing my mind of what I was giving to spell out Friends. I can't show what it was, but every week I would look at the pile that I had arranged out on the floor and add/take away things until I thought it was just right. Well, then of course in all this I have been having computer issues and lost my partners address, so of course I had to email Khris and my partner to get the address to ship my package. And so, yesterday, the last day of the deadline, my partners package was mailed out parcel post and is out of my hands.

Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Finally!

I finally took my Serger out of its box. My class was yesterday, so I took my daughter and we went to learn how to use the new machine. I let her do the work and just watched and gave my opinion. It was mostly like using my regular machine, just a few extra advantages. While we were there I signed us up for a new Serger Club that my JoAnns is having. It is a once a month class for $10 per class. The first class will be making a table runner. Since I only have the one Serger, the girl told me that they would let us use one of the other Sergers they have out for display. That way my daughter and I both can do the class.

Sunday, June 21, 2009

Getting Ready


I have been doing a little house cleaning, so it was only right that I get my sewing area back in shape. I may still have to move the boxes under my table and of course I really need a better chair (my chair is being used at the computer desk). I am thinking of more storage containers like I have in the background. As you can see my new Serger is still in the box. My class is a week from tomorrow and I didn't want to mess with it until I have learned what to do with it. I haven't been sewing for a while and I don't want to quit from frustration before I begin.
I am thinking I might need to add another table too. Now that my sewing room is organized again. I have also organized my arts & crafts supplies from Girl Scouts that I have been collecting for the last two years. I am in the organizing mood lately, can't stand to have it all cluttered anymore.

Sunday, May 24, 2009

New Machine is Here

Well, the new machine is here. I picked it up on Thursday, and signed up for the class however, it is not until June 29th. So it now sits in its box waiting for my class. I have decided that I will take DD1 with me for my class, that way she can learn how to use the machine at the same time as I am.

I have lucked out this week and will have Thursday thru to Monday off this week, so I will have time to plant my garden, flowers, and get my package ready to send out to my friends swap partner. I really put thought into this and hope that she likes everything that I send her.

I am also putting together some jars of jam that DH has made. We had to make each batch twice since this was the first time we tried making it and getting the amount of pectin just right.

Thursday, May 7, 2009

This Weeks News

Well today I went back to JoAnns and had a different sales person order me my new serger. The last girl couldn't find out how to charge me for the machine and was supposed to call me, but she never did. So now I just have to wait for it to come in, they told me it could take two weeks.

I have also been getting my things ready for the Friends Swap I signed up for with Khris from Sew Prim Khris. I am trying to be very imaginative in my gifts, and since they are not due until July, I have plenty of time. I can't say what I am giving, but will post a photo of all once my partner has received her package.

I have been thinking I might post some of the quilts that I have made, since I am not working on anything right know, but haven't had the time to take pictures yet. I will get them on as soon as I can. I have made over a dozen and have all except the three that I gave away.

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

No New Machine Today

Well, I did not get my machine today after all. I went to JoAnns to purchase it, however they were out and it needed to be special ordered. I was OK with that, what can you do right. The problem started when the clerk tried to special order it. She was not familiar with the correct procedure of ringing up this type of sale. First she couldn't remember how to get to the order screen, then when it rang up at the regular price she had trouble changing the price. Twice she had to start the order all over and then when she did get to the correct screen to change the price to $249.99, she kept coming up with the price of $2.49. Would have been a great price but, being a sales clerk myself, I could not let her finish the sale incorrectly, so I told her I would come back later once she was able to complete the sale correctly.

So, the family and I went to dinner at Olive Garden and since we had an extra hour before my Leader meeting, we decided to go to Best Buy and look at new computers. This one has been shutting down on its own lately and we are worried that the hard drive maybe going. We looked at several models and they were having some great deals so we bought a new one, of course this in itself was a feat in patience. I swear the Best Buy in my area has the worst customer service in the world. We stood there for 35 minutes waiting for someone to let us pay for the model we chose. Then the clerk, although nice, took the next 20 minutes completing our purchase, so need less to say by the time we finished paying and I got the family home and got to my meeting I was 15 minutes late. I hate to be late, I keep notes on our meetings and if I miss anything there is no one that gets the notes for me.

Needles to say, I do not know why people are not giving the best service they can in these hard times. You would think they would want to take your money as fast as they could.

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Friends Swap

Yesterday I received word that I was excepted into the Friends Swap that Khris over at Sew Prim Khris is having. I can't wait to get started. I will have to put my thinking cap on and come up with some really good things for my partner, whomever that may be. I should know in a couple weeks who I get. It might be like expecting a baby, the thrill is in wondering what you will get. In the meantime I am going tomorrow and pick up my Serger that I have been wanting for so long. Can't wait to play with that too.

Friday, April 17, 2009

Friends Swap

I enjoy reading the blogs I have found since starting one of my own, and I follow several that I list on my site. Today in reading Khris' from Sew Prim Khris, I ran across her Friends Swap and decided to join. I have never been in a swap before, but I have e-mailed Khris a few times and find her to be very nice. I like most people followed her and her husband during their adventures to the States and love to she what she is working on day to day.

I guess this means I will have to start writing more often in my blog and not whine so much, so that whomever becomes my swap partner doesn't think she got herself a dud.

Ok, so I have not bought a new machine yet. I know I have mentioned it but I am making sure other things are taken care of first like the kids summer adventures this year and I just tell myself that I will get one when I am ready to spend the money on myself.

Maybe I will just take some photos of the quilts I have done and post them. At least they will give me something to talk about here. I have kept this blog for my sewing and use my other blog for my everyday life happenings. maybe I should just merge them. I don't know.

Thursday, April 9, 2009

Spring Break

It's Spring Break here and the kids are decorating Easter Eggs today. I still haven't made a move on the new machine, but it is only because I keep telling myself I don't need it today, but only when I will start sewing again. Life just seems to get in the way here too much. My sewing area has turned into a vegetable garden right now. I have started my plants indoors early so that I may get a longer growing period once I move them outside.

Tomorrow I am taking the girls to see the Hannah Montana Movie, Evie won a gift certificate and has been waiting to use it. I told her we would use it when there was a girly movie that she would like instead of just whatever movie happened to be playing that week.

Today I think we will go bowling before I go to work, that will give them something to do beside stay indoors all week. It has been chilly here after the snow this week, so they haven't been out yet and so they have to keep trying to find friends that are home to play with.

So maybe I will go get my machine this weekend, JoAnn's is having a sale on the Serger for $249 until the 11th.

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Nothing new to report here. I am still debating as to the Serger or not. I have had the flu the last few days so I haven't done anything at all. My next day off isn't until Monday again so I will see what I can do then. Working afternoon/evenings doesn't leave a lot of time to do much of anything let alone spend time with my kids so sewing is really on the bottom of the list right now, but I keep hoping that I can change that and bring it back up to the top of the list again. I did see a block I am interested in so we will see.

Friday, March 6, 2009

New Machine?

I have been thinking of purchasing a Serger recently, and so I have been shopping for inexpensive machines. I do not think I really need an expensive machine like I purchased when I first started quilting. So I am leaning towards the Singer model. I have seen it at JoAnns for $300, and on line for $249, but I found it the other day at Wal-Mart for $178. I know I like the price at Wal-Mart, but I also think I might need to take a few classes which come free at JoAnns with the purchase of the machine.

I figure since I haven't been quilting lately, I might try sewing small things like PJ pants and such, just to get back into the sewing feeling.

I will see what happens in the next few days, maybe find out how much a class would cost and when I could take one.

Friday, February 13, 2009

Not doing Much

The only sewing I have been doing lately was to make a Banner for cookie sales. I have been reading a lot of blogs and magazines and they all give really inspiring ideas, but I just don't have the time lately to sit and sew. Since I only get my days off during the week I usually spend it cleaning house and playing catch up with the kids. I always seem to have these days jammed pack with things to do so that I do not feel like I have had a day off. I am not sure why I do this, I keep saying that I am going to have a day of staying in bed (hahaha) but I just don't get it.

My kids all love the one hand sewing piece I did and they can't wait until I will set them up with a piece all their own. So I do have that to add to my never ending list. What I need is a place to go away from home and sit and sew like I use too.