By George! - I think I have it!!!!!

If you are a frequent reader, you know that technology and I don't always get along. Don't get me wrong - I love technology and I think I am a somewhat intelligent user, but sometimes - well things don't work the way they are supposed to.


Take my iPod.

my iPod

I love my iPod and I only listen to audio books on it. FREE ones that I download from the library. There is such a huge choice of books available on their web site that I see no need to buy one. And I am behind in so many authors - well I have a lot of reading/listening to do.

My biggest issue was in transferring the darn books to the iPod. I could make the transfer, but it took forever and I could never remember how I did it. However - I think I have now mastered that process. You see - it should be very simple - open up the web site (OverDrive) - down load the book - hit transfer and VOILA - the book is on the iPod. But NO - the iPod is an Apple product after all and god forbid that they make things easy. Nope - you have to download through iTunes, once you have used the web site to get the book.  Well - I whipped through downloading TWO books yesterday - so fast that I thought to myself that something was wrong. Nope - the two books were on the iPod!!!

I must download a couple more (before the two on there expire) and that will give me more practice in the download and transferring skills!!!!    Yeah me!!!!!!!!!!!   OK - for those of you with more (or less) skills than me - this truly is a big deal.  It has only taken 1 1/2 years for me to figure out how to do the transfer and REMEMBER how to do it!!!!


What's been going on?  Lots!!!!   Once I finished the border on that pink bicycle quilt - I had triangles left over. And somewhere along the line, I made or inherited purple triangles. Perfect for my hour glass blocks - or quarter square triangles - however you want to call them.

Perfect match to make hour glass blocks. 

When I got home from the retreat, I had a "distress" phone message waiting for me. Someone was looking for a striped fabric that I had purchased at Ruti's Needlebed. The girls at the store told this person that I had bought the rest of the bolt and could she buy some off me. Now I have always wanted to do that - call someone up and ask to buy a fabric that I needed!!!   Just so you know - I did NOT buy the last of the bolt - I had ONE METER which I was quite happy to sell.

My one meter of striped fabric

 Except the funny thing - I was teaching at Hobby Horse that day and I saw this fabric in the store. So I sold my paler version and bought TWO meters of the darker stripe!!  I think it was a win win for everyone!!!!

My NEW striped fabric

 Hey - I have a thing for striped fabric and hope to be making some more cool samples in the near future.


These next pictures demonstrate how dedicated my students are. Have a look at Susan's nails........

Nails decorated with quilt patterns!!!!

Perfect piecing on the nails!!!!

I have been attempting to get ONE quilt done a day since I got back from the retreat. Let's just say that I have to do one a day for the next week and I will be caught up (sort of) before I leave.

And I even snuck one of MY quilts in the line up!!!!!

MY quilt - done

Customer quilt - DONE!!!!

The first day of the retreat - I finished this scrap quilt. I have been carrying that basket of scraps around for a while and it was time to get it done. Thanks to the girls at the retreat - I scrounged enough scraps to finish it off.

Scrappy string quilt - the top is DONE

Musliin was used as a base for the squares

What's left in the basket!

The pieces in the basket are NOT big enough to make a string quilt, but they would be good to start something else.  Hmmmm - got to find something else.


Here's an update on my girls. Sparky seems to have recovered from the vestibular disease. Well I say recovered - she is still very unstable. She just doesn't have the strength? or the stability?  She can't shake her body or she falls over (she doesn't try any more), she rarely barks, she sometimes stumbles when walking and falls down, BUT she is so much better than what she was - in my mind she is cured!!!!!   The only thing that drives me crazy is that she is so ROUTINE oriented.   (I know - that is my fault!!!)   But she paces the house like a crazy person while she waits for 6:30 AM (walk time). Then she paces like a mad woman while I prepare their food. Then she sleeps most of the day until about 1 hour before the next scheduled event - then paces again!!!!!


Ah - geriatric dogs!!!!   And for some reason - they have a thing with the muddy creek in the forest. Look at my Little Sammy - her feet are disgusting!!!!!!!!

Little Sammy's feet

They are off to the vet this afternoon - they don't know that yet!


On that note - I have one border left to quilt on the quilt that I was supposed to finish yesterday. I was too tired to finish up last night. And one more waiting to be quilted today and it is a busy day with classes and the vet. Another late night!!!!    Well - I never go to bed late, but I work late meaning after dinner.


Have a great day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Ciao!!!!