Frustrated!!!!!

Oh it is a long story and well - I am not so frustrated any more, BUT I do have to restart my computer because the card reader won't work.

OK - computer is rebooted, photos edited and I am ready to go!!!

Yesterday was a gorgeous day. While the sun was not out, the temperature was above zero, no precipitation and a PERFECT day for a hike. Mary and I hopped in the car and off we went. We hiked for TWO hours!!!!   A nice leisurely walk - no hills, no rocks - just a nice wide snow covered path.

Here are some pictures I took on the walk.............

LOTS of open running water

Heading through a marshy area (although there is a good road on the side of it)

Heading into the fir trees - amazing how dark it got when we walked through that part

Beautiful OUTDOORS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A day that makes you feel great to be alive!!!!!

Spotted this hornet/wasp??? nest that was ripped open on the bottom.   Shoot - I should crop this picture so you can see the honeycomb inside. If you click on it - you might see the detail. 

Normally I would have taken the girls, but we had a couple of other errands and they would NOT have appreciated being cooped up in the car.


Oh yes - chalk one up for all season tires!!!   I am NOT a firm believer in winter tires (I know - they perform better, blah blah blah) Anyway - the parking area for this spot was NOT plowed. And it was pretty churned up with loose snow. To get out - you had to go up a small embankment. Oh boy - this may be good or it may not be. I put the car into low gear and it just pulled up that little hill like no tomorrow.   I am still a firm believer that winter tires are a marketing gimmick!!!!   (and trying to compensate for BAD drivers!!!!).    I HATE that marketing drives so much business - things that are NOT necessary become a NEED and a WANT strictly because of marketing. It drives me CRAZY!!!!!!!    Maybe that is why I hate those big quilt shows - it is ALL MARKETING!!!!!!!     Anyway - I digress..............


Then we popped over to Northcott to pick up some fabric for kits that I will be running a class on (hopefully in February). The quilt is gorgeous, was designed by Patti Carey of Northcott and well - I decided to make it a class. Oh boy - going to have to eat my words  cause I am going to make you WANT to make this kit. You are going to NEED to have it!!!!!    I will get a picture up soon.

While at Northcott, I was checking for a fabric to help me finish this quilt. I just can't get it done. The shades of fabric are very weird and NOTHING is working. I am FRUSTRATED. So I found three fabrics that I thought might work. We discussed it and I bought an ENTIRE bolt for one small piece of fabric (I know - desperation!!!!)   We eliminated the other two because they were too pinky.


While we were there, we found a few other things that were neat and filled the back of the car. On the way to our next stop, we were chatting about what needed to be done by Christmas and OH MY GOD - I was supposed to look at the solids to get something for that one special project that I am making. We completely FORGOT!!!!!!    CRAP CRAP CRAP!!!!!!!


Well - I knew the store that we were going to had solids, so let's pray a LOT!!!!!!!!!

We arrived at Sew Sisters - oh my - what a BRIGHT store. You are blinded when you walk in, but it is gorgeous with BRIGHTS - loads and loads of BRIGHTS!!!!!!!   (I know - I made this BROWN Sample to work in a store with BRIGHTS!!!!!).   Anyway - I found a solid that will work for THAT project, found some stuff with bikes on it and picked out fabric to make ANOTHER version of the same quilt - a smaller version.

The traffic in the area was HORRIBLE. So much construction because of the subway????   Not sure, but it is ugly.


Anyway - finally arrived back home AND ICK ICK ICK.

Here are some of my fabrics - very COOL brown (hey - almost pinky!!!!)

See the fabric that I THOUGHT worked - well it does NOT!!!!!!!    Way too yellow. We should have got the pinky ones. I even had my samples with me.    The lighting must have been off because it looked good at the warehouse. 

Getting desperate now - so I decided to shop Chez Elaine again!!!!!   Here are all the browns dumped out

Some contenders?????

Nope - next................

Nope - next......................

This one is GREAT - why did I not pick this up the first round? Now you see part of my problem is that one of the fabrics in the quilt is in fact yellow based. See the one with the swirl.s I swear in the quilt it looks just fine. and on its own - it really looked OK. Next to this fabric - it doesn't really go. But even M agreed that in the quilt it looks OK. Cause I am ready to rip it out if I have too, but we agreed that I don't. 

OH MY GOD - at last I found a small piece that will work. But I am so frustrated that I just want to toss it in the corner. The old me would do that - but the new me says STICK WITH IT - you are ALMOST DONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well I have learned a couple of valuable lessons. I can't even put them into words - but they were valuable!!!!!    LOL - actually - one is - try to find ALL the fabric required BEFORE you start making a quilt. Really really check the tones of the fabrics. I would probably have done this differently if I were starting again. BUT I get to do it again since I am making another one.


When I realized (this morning) that the fabric I bought yesterday WAS NOT going to work - I was MAD. So I went to the gym and took out my frustration on the bike!!!!!!!!!   Seriously - I pumped away so hard - my legs are tired now. But I got it out of my system. I am ready to sew. Also helps that I had a good visit with my gym friends and that is why the blog is late.


Want to know how many steps I did yesterday (as per my FitBit). Almost TWENTY THOUSAND!!!!!    Over EIGHT miles. That is pretty cool.

I have to go now and get this quilt done today?????    Really?????   I don't know. Seriously I just want to see the end of it.   But I DO LIKE the quilt and the end result (as per what is on the design wall is EXACTLY what I was looking for),, but it has been a nightmare to get there.


Hey M - hello!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!    (she is hassling me - we need to go shopping) and wants me to mention her in the blog today. So HELLO M!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



On that note - have a great day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



Ciao!!!!!!!!!!!!!