You Better Sit Down. I Sewed Today

Here is a little cross section of my Spring Breeze quilt. Enjoy!

UPDATE

It is now 12:40 Sunday a.m. I have sewn the rest of my nickel pairs together. Now to cut and trim them. Maybe it will be a day of sewing.

Clothes, clothes and more clothes

With my decluttering and culling I have been taking a serious look at my clothes. How much is enough? I know I have way too much. Plus with my weight loss there is quite a bit that just does not look good on me. Then there are the stained things or the washed out looking things. I need to just let them go. I want to start my new job with a nice wardrobe and I am hoping I have enough already to get started.

How are you at maintaining your clothing? How many of each item does anyone need? My opinion is more tops than bottoms as the tops give variety. Then I have to consider my laundry schedule. At home I normally do the laundry through the week. When I am in an apartment will I do the same? We shall see.

I am interested to hear your input on this topic.

About That Job

Still waiting for my contract to arrive so that I can sign it. I now know that tomorrow means a few days with this consulting firm. But that is ok. They do get the job done just a little slower than they think they can.

I live in the Dallas, TX area. The job I am taking is in the Monroe, Louisiana area. I will be working on converting customers from one billing system into another billing system. I have experience in a system similar to what the company currently has.

In the beginning I will be coming home on the weekends. Eventually I will be allowed to work a week here and there from home. There will also be times when I will not be able to come home on the weekends due to work duties.

I think this will take a little adjustment for everyone. But with all the layoffs that are going on I felt this was a good opportunity for me for several reasons. It will help me and my family attain some goals that we were not going to otherwise be able to achieve. I will get to learn a new system with a new company. I currently have 23 years all with the same company. Variety is the spice of life. My family and I are preparing for my absence. They know how to cook, do dishes and laundry. I think they will manage just fine.

I will be paid a per diem which will more than cover my expenses for renting and furnishing an apartment while I am there. I contacted the quilt guild there and 3 very nice ladies (aren't all quilters nice?) contacted me and recommended apartment complexes. I have been in contact with all of them and have found the one I will rent after I look it over. It looks great online. But you know how that can be. They have an apartment coming available at the time I start at my new job. I think that is a bit serendipitous. Time will tell.

I start March 16th and am ready to get to work!

Yesterday and Today

Yesterday I got a call that the company I had interviewed with was slowing down on their hiring since they did not have work to keep everyone busy. The work was to come from another group but was slow and behind. So they told me to hang in there and that they felt a decision would be coming later this week since the people that we were waiting for were out of town on business. I felt I needed to step up my efforts on other leads and that I would work on that heavily the next day.

Today I was taking a break from my decluttering efforts and watching the boob tube. I was going to head to the sewing room after one of the shows I watch daily went off. Just as the show was wrapping up my cell phone rang. I answered and was asked my name. When I said "Yes this is she", I was asked "Are you ready to go to work?". I couldn't believe it. I start March 16th. As one of my friends said I "I am on vacation now and not unemployed". Fun way to think of it.

Thanks for all the kind supportive messages you have sent to me. I appreciate knowing how much you all care.

4 Day Declutter







But have no fear. I picked up the seam ripper and my blocks to work on those bad seams. What I go through to avoid ripping out! LOL!

Another Day of Decluttering

It must be done. I decided to work at it in the morning then sew after dinner. That didn't happen. I got to a point where things were at a turning point of looking like I had made progress do I forged on. I was rewarded when I found a bag of fabric and some patterns that I had been looking for. I still have more to go but don't foresee marathon sessions like the ones I just had these past few days. Hopefully I will have quilty content to share this week!

Thanks for the encouragement.

Quiltathons and Stay At Home Retreats

Lots of fellow quilters out there quilting their little hearts out. And what am I doing? Decluttering. I am pretty certain I will have a new job that will take me out of town during the week so I am trying to get my house in order in such an event. Friday I had 4 lawn size trash bags full of junk and then some odds and ends put out for the trash man. Maybe a kitchen bag. After today there are at least 5 lawn size trash bags, 4 or 5 kitchen size trash bags and boxes sitting on my driveway awaiting the next pickup. There will be more and my trashman will be cussing my name!

I am going to try to get a little sewing in tomorrow as I think I need a break. We will see what the morning brings.

References Are Checked and my Seams are "Tenting"

Heard back from the consulting firm about my interview Friday. References are checked and now we wait. They seemed to indicate it was a matter of them checking the timeframe of when not if. I am not counting on it yet.

I started sewing sections of my Spring Breeze together last night. The seams are not lying flat and I think it is because when I get to the "point" of the one block it is narrower than the seam allowance I started with at the edge of the block. I only sewed three rows of three blocks together. I am going to pick it out and re-sew. Hope to show progress tomorrow.

Do You Sew Over Your Pins?

Why or why not?

Stash Report, Week 7 of 2009

Fabric Purchased this Week: 0 yards
Fabric Purchased YTD: 1.125 yards

Fabric Busted this Week: 0 yards
Fabric Busted YTD: 16 yards


Net Used YTD: 14.875 yards



I have not finished anything lately. That is the point when I count stash as busted. When do you count it? I am wondering if I should change my accounting practice....

Sewing Nickels Together

I have 320 nickels to sew together. There are 2 color ways. One is red and white the other is red and black. I have only 5 left to sew for the red and white combo. Then I have to trim what has been sewn. I think I am a little over half way on the trimming. Then I have to sew 4 of these HSTs to make on block. I think I have 10 blocks made so far.

For the red and black combination I have 1/4 of the nickels sewn together with one block sewn together. I had started with grey thread for both colorways but when I assemble the white and red blocks the seams are all white and white fabric. I decided to use white for those and so will sew all that combination first then switch thread back for the rest. I think I can get this one topped this week!

Opportunities

I decided to take this week off from job searching as I came down with a really nasty cold. I had started to reach out a little to get things rolling and thought let me rest and get better and things can resume Monday. I have talked with 3 consulting firms and had an interview today with a company that seems very interested in me. They called back asking for professional references so that says a lot!

If they choose me they want me to start in about 3-4 weeks. That works for me! More to come.

UNEMPLOYED

Today is the Day

My last day at work....maybe. I had one interview in the 60 days I searched. I learned yesterday that department is under a hiring freeze. I received a call yesterday and interviewed for another position. They will have to decide today if they want me and start the transfer process today in order for me to get that job. I will have to go on leave of absence while awaiting the approvals for me to get that job. During this process the job could fall under a freeze.

Please send positive thoughts!

Stash Report, Week 6 of 2009

Fabric Purchased this Week: 0 yards
Fabric Purchased YTD: 1.125 yards

Fabric Busted this Week: 0 yards
Fabric Busted YTD: 16 yards

Net Used YTD: 14.875 yards

Spring Breeze

Better Pic

Topped

I will try to get a better picture when it isn't so windy out.

Under Construction

Concentrating on rows 1-14 of 29. In 3 sections as of this writing.

Blooming Ninepatch Update

195 plain squares

224 nine patches

56 side setting triangles

4 corner triangles

I have to subcut the setting and corner triangles. All the plain squares and nine patches are cut, sewn and ready to go. Here is a picture of the last set of nine patches, plain squares and the fabric for the triangles.

January Accomplishments

I accomplished most of the goals I had for January except for finding the fabric and pattern for dd's quilt and quilting my daisy quilt. I just cannot imagine where her fabric and pattern has gotten to. I still think she has it in her room but she vehemently denies it. She has graciously agreed to let me work on one of her other quilts. Weather was not cooperative to allow for basting outdoors until this past Saturday and then my motivation wasn't cooperating!

February Goals

• finish ds' blooming ninepatch top
• baste all the waiting tops (not including the blooming 9p)
• quilt something! Anything!
• start my Spring Breeze top
• start dd's quilt

Stash Report, Week 5 of 2009

Fabric Purchased this Week: 1.125 yards
Fabric Purchased YTD: 1.125 yards

Fabric Busted this Week: 0 yards
Fabric Busted YTD: 16 yards

Net Used YTD: 14.875 yards

I worked really hard to squeeze out what I needed for my son's blooming ninepatch but I really wanted maroon for the last row and just did not have it. I was able to squeeze the rest out of stash. I think I am doing well.