Awkward, no Awesome

Awkward:

• I drove all the way to Shelton yesterday to go to a quilt shop. It had moved. When I got to the store, I remembered it was a lame store that I didn't ever feel the need to go to again. note to self...don't go Shelton for anything, ever again.
• I have gone swimming everyday this week. This morning while I was at the pool, a guy in the pool felt like he needed to give me swimming tips. They included:

1. Run through the water as fast as you can. 
2. Do everything you're already doing, but do it faster and longer. 
3. Get a snorkel set.
4. Don't get discouraged.

• This fellow swimmer must have mistaken me for someone who was discouraged and looking for advice. The whole time he was talking, I was seriously telling myself, 'Don't say a word Dedra. Don't say something mean Dedra. Don't make eye contact Dedra.' I have decided that if he tries to offer me any advice again, I am going to tell him I have already set my schedule and I'm going to ask him to watch his language. He said the 'F' word 3 times during our less than 5 minute conversation. yikes!!
• I told pool I was pretty happy with my results so far, even though I can't swim very well. He told me it was apparent I can't swim. Then I called him a douche in my mind, thanked him out loud, and swam away. ps, I took lap swimming classes in college. I'm an expert dog paddler. haha  I'm seeing results though.
• The last three bullets and four number should really have been one bullet. [this one too]
• the end. i've got nothing. for my next trick, i'll be taking a nap. don't call until 11:30. gracias.

Dear Briana, Brittney, and Ashley (and Jarin)

I'm super jealous tonight that I missed your dinner with Ryan.  Here is my plan.

LET'S DO IT AGAIN!! 

I'll be in Rexburg for a week this summer. The last week of July/ first week in August. Let's party! We don't even have to invite Ryan. or maybe we should. he might pay. (Or Jarin.)

I'm glad you gals like my blog! You're cordially invited to comment every now and then.

I love you ladies!
Dedra

Finish it up Friday and a Work in Progress or Two Too.

I made this cow costume for a play being put on at a local school. They already had pants to go with the costume so I only had to build the body. I'm pretty pleased with how it turned out and my models actually cooperated for a few minutes as well.

I only had that one finish, but I have tried something new and I have an update on one of my WIP's.

I tried English Paper Piecing.I don't care how cool these things look when they are done. I'm probably never going to to another one. Hand sewing is not for me.  They will not be wasted though. I will (machine) applique them onto quilt blocks and use them in a quilt I'm working on.

 

Here is the progress on my current labor of love. I need to make 10 more, but I ran out of the while tone on tone fabric I was using. I have since been to the fabric store (half a dozen times) and I'm ready to finish these blocks and get them off my WIP wall.

 Lastly, this is the bread I made with dinner last night, and it was delicious. 

Oatmeal bread is my family's favorite.

The post is linked up with Crazy Mom Quilts Finish it up Friday.

Thanks for stopping in.

You Might Be Related to Me IF...

• You know what toonies are.
• You ever ignored a land line phone call, coming from the other end of the house, from your Dad, telling you you were being too loud.
• You ever used that same land line to call the other end of the house to ask Mom to make you a treat at midnight.
• The phrases, "get the board" and "grab your ankles" cause your heart to panic, just a little.
• Played beauty shop in our downstairs laundry room in Meridian, Idaho.
• The smell of hard candy makes you dry heave.
• You knew your multiples of 4 before you knew your alphabet.
• You know all the words to "Uptown Girl" and you know a 'special' choreographed dance that goes with it.
• Your "A's" are showing.
• A beehive hairdo doesn't even grab your attention.
• The thought of living in a 13-15 foot camper trailer with 8 other people brings good memories before you remind yourself, you were really cramped.
• You think of the orange couch, the orange knife, and grandma's orange room with fond memories. [curse you garen and adam for jumping through that couch!]
• Towels are a perfectly acceptable cover for large musical instruments, such as an organ.
• Some people have a china collection, you may have had a pyrex cup collection.
• You'd never tasted oven baked french fries.
• You have been kicked out of the factory outlet mall in North Bend, WA but made it past security at Morison Knudson in Boise, Idaho.
• It's not impressive if you know someone who owns a cotton candy machine or a inflatable jumping toy.
• You're invited to Ensign Ranch.
• Watching TV, playing the piano, listening the the stereo and vacuuming the floor, all go on at the same time in the same room, and are considered acceptable activities. {This may or may have been captured on video somewhere.}  side note: Mom would never allow video games to be played in the front room. They were far too loud and distracting.

Memory Monday posed as a Finish it up Friday.

Once upon a time, I was a little girl, living in Meridian, Idaho. My mom had a quilting frame (4 1x4's and some C clamps.) While She and Wendi tied a couple of quilts, Garen, Adam and I played under the quilt frame, in a fort. Finally the fort was too small to play under, so I helped finish tying the quilt and the boys went off to jump on beds or climbs door frames. I clearly remember those days. There were only a few of them, but from those moments, I knew I wanted to sew. I wanted to create. I wanted to quilt. I wanted to tie quilts.

Little did I know that my desire to quilt and obsession over sewing would turn somewhat OCD. I also could never imagine not tying a quilt. Now the thought of tying a quilt today, pains me a little.

I would like to introduce you to a plethora of photos.  Do you see this awful 'quilt top' featured below? I made this quilt about 24 years ago. I hadn't seen it for about 20 years, when Gina gave it to me while I was in Utah for Spencer's funeral. 

This quilt is sewn terribly and it is totally ugly. Also, it's made of cotton, polyester and knit. (Thank you Mom, for all your crappy fabric you inherited from your mom.)

 Here is a close up of some of my skills.

 See the whole at the top left corner of that hot pink fabric? nice.

 Monday night, I took the whole quilt top a part.

 Here are some photos of the blocks that were sewn together.

 In my defense, my Mom gave me all these blocks 'precut' (but not squared.)

A little side note about my mom...She was a framer. She could mass produce a lot of things in a short time, but was not one to pay attention to the little details.  Because of this personality, she could accomplish more in a 12 hour day that anyone I have ever met in my life. She was happy with 'good enough.'

A little side not about me...I am a finisher. I am not fast, but what I do, is meticulous. I want all my seams to line up,  I want things exactly like I want them. 

I remember asking her about the size of these blocks and she told me it didn't matter. Seams didn't have to line up and when the top was done it would keep me warm. That's the only point of a blanket...the perfect thought process of a framer.

  Half way through the squaring up process. Blocks measured between 5 and 8 inches square, rectangle, or other. I cut everything down to 5" square.

  This is pretty.

Here is my scrap pile.

 10x10x4 pile of scraps too small to preserve. Don't worry, I have a saved pile also.

 I had clothing made out of this purple and I think my mom had pants out of the orange.

  I had clothing out of the red.

 I think mom had clothing out of this peach.

 Here is the finished quilt top.

  basted. 

I chose to tie this quilt. It was made before I really started sewing and machine quilting was not even heard of. As I looked at the top, I couldn't imagine anything holding it together better than red acrylic yard. My mom's favorite color was red. My favorite color is red. I recently learned my grandma price loved red as well.

  

A preview of the tying.

I decided to bind the quilt in red as well.

 the following photos are the nonsense I will call, 'now show me the back.'

 Ahh. There is it. See that label in the bottom corner? That's the most important part of this whole project. 

When Gina gave me this quilt top, she made me promise I wouldn't take it apart. When I promised, I meant it. I just changed my mind later. It's kind of awesome that I broke that promise because if I hadn't, I would have ended up throwing away the quilt top or giving it to the DI or Goodwill.

My mom died almost 3 years ago. That quilt block has her handwriting on it. She had this annoying habit of writing on her fabric. As a kid it really bugged me. Boy am I glad she did that! Her writing is now preserved forever.

 I did not square up that block.

 I am so happy with the finished project. I think it's beautiful!

This post if linked up with cmq finish it up friday.