It's Exhausting

Interviews, FBI screenings, Secret Service...manicures, facials, spa days, wardrobe consults...it just goes on and on.  Learning to walk in heeled shoes.  Must be I am being taken more seriously in my fourth bid for President!  (wink, wink)  There was a lot of head shaking (not in a good way) when I brought up the subjects of tiaras and (weighted) scepters.

At any rate, since throwing my hat in the ring again, I have been busy, and busier, and am now into the 9th day of a cold/sinus/whatever.  Some will rejoice in knowing that I totally lost my voice one day, but it's back now....

Thanks for your patience.  Here's a brief tour of what others are achieving!

First, Sharon N, Pat S, Gale, Pat A, and Cheri learned to make flying geese units the old-fashioned way--with quarter- and half-square triangles!  They all did a beautiful job and have enough fabric to make a second block with the two main colors reversed!

Karen H. just has to bind her Mariner's Compass Bliss project--what a stunner it is!  Great job, Karen!

Carol R, a frequent flyer here on the blog, had her Green Thumb wall hanging at the Tompkins County Quilters Guild show a few weeks ago.  Just delightful, as always!

And Cindy O sent me this pic of 3 Unlikely Friends that she started last summer at retreat.  The setting fabrics add spark to the blocks!  Yippee!

The three blocks from Three Unlikely Friends were designed at the same time as the ones for Green Thumb.  They definitely did not do well with those nine, so I made a separate hanging out of them.  A very different feel.  I love them both.

Next up:  What I did in September.  Or maybe something else.

Blissful hugs,
Sharon

P.S.  I finished X by Sue Grafton, Make Me by Lee Child, Tripwire by Lee Child.

Throwing My Hat in the Ring...Again

The opinions expressed below may be offensive to some; continue reading at your own discretion.

I think this is the fourth time I've tossed my hat into the presidential campaign ring.  As you can plainly see, I have been unsuccessful in my bid three times.  Perhaps the fourth will be the charm.

Here's part of my platform:

ALL gas tanks will be filled from the driver's side--no exceptions.  Why haven't manufacturers come to that conclusion themselves?  No more jockeying for a spot at the pumps.

ALL convicted prisoners will be microchipped.  No exceptions.  We spend millions of dollars tracking escapees; microchips will eliminate the need for manhunts and pay for themselves many times over.

There will be a child-free shopping day each week.  That's right, plan ahead, because no children will be allowed in any shop on the designated day.  And perhaps that day will also be cell phone free, as well.  Remember the good old days of leaving home to get away from screaming kids and the ringing phone?  What was wrong with that?

Remember turn signals--or when people used to use them more often?  It's not like we have to stick our arm out the window in all kinds of weather before the invention of turn signals.  My suspicion is that there was more signaling in those days than now.  And why are turn signal lights so small?  Most cars are bigger but have smaller lights.  Why is that?

This is just the beginning of my campaign.  Let's get the word out.  Stroud for President!  And I am going to be the first tiara-wearing president.  And I may carry a wand scepter.  The Queen shouldn't have all the fun!

Blissful presidential-hopeful hugs,
Sharon

A Random Sunday

1.  When I am President, everyone will have broadband or higher for internet!  It takes me so long to wait for dial-up that I have started knitting while I wait....

2.  The word "eely".  It means slippery.  Just saying the word eely makes my skin crawl.  It's in crosswords quite a bit.

3.  Why, in crosswords, are we allowed to use "lira" or "lire" depending on which ending fits the puzzle?

4.  Do real female cops and FBI agents (and other alphabet agencies) really wear high heels on a take-down?  Can you imagine chasing a perp and getting that heel caught in a grate?  Have there been tests to see how fast women can run in heels?  Rest assured, if I am elected President, no funds will be expended for that research.

5.   Why are geese already flying south?  It seems way too early.  But I'm loving this cooler weather.

6.  Why isn't every book I want available on CD?  I can listen a lot more than I can actually read.  If you haven't done the Harry Potter books on CD, you really should, even if you've read the books.  Jim Dales is spectacular as the reader.

7.  I pulled out a project from quite a while ago, already basted, and have it over half quilted in just one evening.  

8.  Today I cut batting for 80 quilt sandwiches for class and muslin for 52.  Have the 52 layered ready to baste.  I don't suppose anyone wants to volunteer to help baste?  I didn't really think so.

 Okay, I guess that's enough randomness for now.  Have a great start to the week!

Blissful hugs,
Sharon

P.S.  I am listening to Home Front by Kristin Hannah.  Compelling!

The Presidential Campaign Continues

I've spent most of the day appliqueing on something I cannot show you yet.  So, I decided to move forward with my presidential campaign.


When I am President:


Brown, black and white fabrics will cost less than their more colorful counterparts.  Now, I can see some of you raising your hackles and indignantly saying "But I LOVE brown (insert black or white) fabric.  How dare you infer than it is inferior!"  But wait...your fearless President feels this is a win-win for everyone.  Here's how it works.  For those of us who do not really care for black, white or brown fabric, we can pay less when we need it to complete a project.  For those who LOVE black, white and brown, YOU pay less for fabric you love!  So what's to complain about?  (In the spirit of full disclosure, I must admit that I am not fond of brown fabrics--of which I bought many yards [oops, not the right shades] last year when making Bliss 3--but I do love blacks and whites.  You may have noticed through the last 450+ posts that I tend to work very bright.  But as your President, I promise to make every color fabric available.


Think about it...doesn't it seem wrong to pay as much for black and white fabrics as we do for more vivid, colorful ones?


Have you tried the new Klondike Chocolate Ice Cream Sandwiches?  They will be the official Presidential ice cream treat.  Previously you could only get vanilla or neapolitan ice cream sandwiches easily.  And these are the best yet!  Chocolate anything will get the Presidential nod.


The best peanut butter cup Presidential Seal of Approval goes to Emily, who shall be the Official Peanut Butter Cup Maker to the President.  


As your future President, I bid you a good night and bestow upon you


Blissful hugs,
Sharon

Slogging Through Paperwork

It's been a day of slogging through paperwork.  How and why does it accumulate so fast?  I've also done a bit of hand quilting, but barely enough to claim it.

So I thought I'd share two photos I just love.

Go ahead, stick your neck out and vote Stroud for President!

Me?  I'm totally innocent!

So there you have it for Monday night.  Please be sure to spread the word about my presidential campaign--it is literally being "pieced" together!  ;-)


Hugs,
Sharon

The Campaign Begins in Earnest

Voting Quilters of America:  In an effort to gain more votes than in prior elections, I am going to ramp up my campaign.


When I am President, the BASE of the food pyramid will be CHOCOLATE!!!!  And the dairy portion will be chocolate ice cream!  And not the fat-free stuff, either.


Your right to bear needles, scissors and thread through airport security will be assured.  All quilters will be issued special badges that allow them to sail through security.  Everyone knows (or should) that quilters cannot pack light.  No extra baggage charges will be allowed for extra suitcases above the allowable limit if they are packed with quilting supplies.


No one will be allowed to say "Wouldn't it be nice if you finished something?"  As your presidential candidate, and in the spirit of full disclosure, I can honestly say that I have over 120 UFOs.  I doubt that many of you can top that number, so be sure to print this post to show to the "Finishing Police".  As your soon-to-be-elected President, I will pardon all quilters with vast numbers of UFOs.  There will be no more guilt, no more shame, no head-hanging in public (or in private).  


So, fellow Americans, remember that we are not limited to the usual Presidential candidates.  In a bid to stop the madness, I am stepping forward in denim and patchwork, with needle, thread and thimble at the ready.  And, although to some it will look tacky, I have an ever-increasing supply of tiaras and tiara-like head wear.  I truly want to be the outstanding candidate!  (I doubt anyone else running will have such exuberant head gear.)


With those words to mull over until next time, I remain your best hope for a brighter tomorrow.


With presidential-like hugs (I'm practicing so I'll be really good in November),
Sharon

It's Saturday Night...

and I ain't got no pictures!  Oh, well.  It's been a day of quilting, sewing binding, reading, letting Lynnie in and out, keeping Callie off the quilts.  In other words, pretty typical!


I was watching the Republican Debate in New Hampshire tonight and thought I would remind you all that I am running for President AGAIN!  I ran in 2004 and 2008--and garnered no votes.  So I am going to start stepping up my presidential campaign so that I will stand a better chance this November.  So stay tuned in upcoming posts for blatant campaign rhetoric.  And, so that you will be prepared in November, remember to vote early and often.  Change your clothes, change your hair, add or subtract glasses--but GET OUT THERE AND VOTE--but for ME!


Okay, enough politics for one night--a little goes a really llllooooooooonnnnnnggggg way.


Hugs,
Sharon


P.S.  I am listening to Why My Third Husband Will Be a Dog by Lisa Scottoline.

Needles--and a Bit More Thread

All the information provided below is my opinion. Like the thread, these are the things I do every day. Use what makes sense to you, feel free to disagree, add comments to open a dialogue with others. Again, I am paid no endorsement fees.


Needles for Hand Sewing According to Sharon

Betweens are for hand quilting.

Sharps are for all other hand sewing. (When I first started to applique I used betweens and thought a needle is a needle--but sharps really do make a difference for applique. But...use whatever works for you.)

The higher the number, the smaller the needle, i.e., 9 is larger than 10 which is larger than 11, etc.

Richard Hemming makes large eye needles, which are easier to thread, in both sharps and betweens.

John James Sharp Size 11 are my favorite needles for handwork.

Needles should be changed after about 8 hours of sewing. (I am hand quilting on an all batik quilt--even the backing is batik--and I am changing my needle more frequently. Come on--needles are one of the cheapest notions we use, so change them more often. Your hands will thank you!)

Remember that one side of the eye is larger than the other; if you are having trouble threading the needle, turn the needle 180 degrees and try again!


Needles for Machine Sewing According to Sharon

Sharps are used for woven fabrics like our quilting cottons.

Ballpoints are used for knits.

Universals are a combination sharp/ballpoint. They do not make as fine a seam on wovens as sharps alone do. Have a featherweight? Stitches kind of zigzagging on their own? Change to a sharp needle and the problem will miraculously disappear. No kidding!

For machine needles, the larger the number, the larger the needle, i.e., 10 is smaller than 11 which is smaller than 12, etc. (When I am president, the number system for needles, both hand and machine, will be in sync--remember you have to vote for me if you want these changes to actually happen!)

My favorite needles? Sharps size 11 or 12 for general sewing. Why? Because a 50 wt. thread adequately fills the holes left by size 11 needles. Have you seen the holes left by larger bore needles? Bet you have--hold a machine quilted quilt up to the light--see those holes? Too large a needle, too fine a thread.

You may need to go to a size 14 or larger for machine quilting when using those heavier threads.

Needles should be changed after about 8 hours of sewing. Not just when they break.


Thread revisited:

I am still opposed to silk and polyester or polyester-based threads. Even if poly is used only for machine quilting, the quilt is still moving and it's still poly against cotton fibers. When I first started quilting, a cotton-covered polyester thread was about all that was readily available for quilting. I figured I had the best of both worlds--cotton covering, poly strength. But the poly wears away the cotton coating and then I was once again left with the poly thread against my cotton fibers. Silk? Yes, it is very fine. Hard to keep in the needle. The bad news? Over time, silk thread "relaxes" and allows the applique to pull away from the background. That's why I like the 60 wt. Mettler--all cotton, as fine as silk but much easier to use.

So there you have it. Food for thought--or an insomnia aid. Maybe pictures of something tomorrow.

Hugs,
Sharon

P.S. Thanks to all of you for your concern about the potential data loss. Still no word on that yet so keep those good thoughts. For those who suggested Carbonite, which I was fully prepared to do, I have dial-up. The computer techs just shook their heads and said--oh, my. Just as a quick aside, several years ago the computers at the place hosting my website went down--and they lost a great deal of my website content. So...you may want a back-up plan to cyberspace. I now have a web host that backs up every day and on multiple storage devices. Just sayin'. I don't want anyone else going down the roads I've already traveled. Why, oh why, couldn't they have been "the roads not taken".

Thursday

Just a quick post for tonight. It was a wonderful day and I will share more of that story tomorrow, complete with pictures. It's still hot and sticky here. It rained torrentially for a bit today, but it only made it more humid. I seriously did not think that was possible.

Perhaps, as part of my new presidential campaign, I will propose that when the temperature reaches a certain number of degrees and the humidity is 1 billion percent (doesn't it feel that way!), all of America will have the option of going totally nude. I mean, really, one can only take off so much clothing in polite society, so let's legislate a nude polite society. Okay, maybe just a polite society would be a start. Just sayin'.

Okay, enough rambling for tonight. Stay tuned for the next installment.

Hugs,
Sharon

Merry Christmas, Everyone!

Did everyone have a great Christmas day? I spent lots of time with family and some time finishing gifts and actually wrapping them! (Okay, you caught me--I should have stock in gift bags and tissue paper!)

Remember when I told you about the raw-edge ornaments I do each year at the Groton Public Library? Well, here are two pics for you. This year was a holly leaf, embellished with a red button "berry". I used Sulky 12 wt. variegated thread and Legacy soy/cotton batting. They are quick and easy gifts or work great as gift tags. Think outside the Christmas holidays--Easter, Valentine's Day, St. Patrick's Day--the list is endless. How about baby bottle or rattle ornaments/tags? Be sure to sign the back so everyone knows who made these little gems!

A close-up. I actually make the hanger as I sew on the button. Who said quilter's don't do buttons? Well, okay--only when we want to!


I also finished a knitted hat. A Penny Straker design--each pattern has great tips and usually two or three items or variations. I couldn't figure out how to change to a different size circular in the middle of the hat for Magic Loop, so I knit these on straights. It was like a blast from the past! And I did a modified mattress stitch to sew the seam. Lays flat, no bulk, looks pretty good! I especially like the double fabric over the ears.

For those of you celebrating other holidays, I hope your day was equally special. For tonight, cozy up in a quilt with a warm cup of cocoa and enjoy the holiday lights. The lights are the one thing from Christmas that I wish we could see all year round--okay, I guess I'd better modify that wish--the tiny white or bluish tint lights--not the inflatables, and probably not the icicle lights in the summer. Hey--it's MY wish, so I can be as picky as I want. YOU can make your own wish for or against lighting year round. Maybe I can add this to my presidential platform! I only have three years to campaign--I'd better start early!

Merry Christmas, everyone! And to all a good night!

Hugs,

Sharon

Day Four - Happy Birthday, America!

Day four and a bit of home decorating! At the first auction I told you about, my mom bid on a group of baskets, including this antique sewing basket. She got the entire bunch for $1! Can't beat that! She gave me the sewing basket and I decided to display it in a different way. This is the plant stand that I got at the last auction. By putting the lid up against the wall, it made a great place to display the bears, a gift from a friend, along with an antique doily and a small ceramic bird. I will probably add more items to the basket, but this gave me a good start.
Here's a picture of the entire stand. On thebottom is a ceramic pedestal dish with a bird support. There is also a red bird salt shaker. Just a cute set. I keep things I really like up all year long. No sense in hiding stuff for most of the year. I envy the people who put all their seasonal stuff in boxes and change all their displays multiple times per year. I'm lucky I can get any decorations up in a timely manner, so my system of perpetual display works great!

Happy Birthday, America! Many thanks to our Armed Forces personnel for keeping us safe and free. Each night I pray that God will keep them safe and out of harm's way. I also pray that our elected officials, from the state government up to the President, will come to their senses and stop all this "change". If things keep going the way they are, most of us will not be able to afford to live in America. How many new taxes, heaped upon the taxes we already have, can the middle class afford to pay?

Okay, enough soap boxing--remember when I am president, things will be much better--I have so decreed it--Make it Sew, Number One!

Hugs to all,

Sharon

Bitterly Disappointed

Well, it's over. And yet again, I did not get elected President of the United States. You know I ran in '04 and again this year--I just don't understand. So I am going to ramp up my campaign for '12--so prepare yourselves for a very serious campaign.

Part of my platform:

As hand quilters we will count BOTH sides in the count. No more counting the top stitches only! By golly, we made the stitches on both sides--we are darn well going to count them!

The base of the food pyramid will be CHOCOLATE! And the dairy portion will the CHOCOLATE ICE CREAM!

(As an aside--how come the popular vote (that's us) was much closer than the electoral vote reflected? Aren't they supposed to vote based on OUR wishes? Just saying....)

On that note, I am off to class. No pics today, but I have some of a wallhanging that I quilted in just one day (by hand) to show the next time. I just didn't want anyone (Annoying) to miss me!

Remember how special you are--even if you didn't vote for me ;-(