Too Busy - Too Play!

So busy lately I have not had time to work on anything!!!

Horse show today and it is raining!!!!!

Fun in the Quilting Room!!!!

Finally got to do some quilting!!! Had a beautiful quilt made by a great quilter, Ann, who lives in Maryville, TN. She always does such a good job piecing her tops. This was a big quilt, 95x112 but was alot of fun to work on after I decided what to do.


Freehand triple leaves in the borders and treated all the borders as one; swirls in the colored circles which were quarter circles appliqued on a small square and 4 pieced together to make a circle (4 drunkard paths); a fan with swirls at the bottom of the fan in the plain white circles which were reversed appliqued; an finally a back & forth motion in the background of the circles to create the feel of water. I kept thinking lily pads and water. Putting the swirls in each part of the quilt help tie the quilting together. The backing was a cotton sateen and all the quilting really shows up. Use 100% cotton for the batting - when it is washed - should really look good. I did not realize how much I did to it.

I sure hopes she likes it!!!

Birthday Cake

Rhea's b-day was this last week - they come even when you are sick, which he was. But Britney created him a very special birthday cake today. The clowns were so cute. She had them laying down and some were holding their heads - "Oh, not another birthday!!!"

Woven Rugs are finally done!!!

I finally finished the two rugs that I was doing on my floor loom!!!

Hurray - now I can try something else!!!

While working on them, I was not happy with them at all but after I took them off, they looked better.

You can even see that I had planned stripes in one - I could not tell it when they were on the loom.

They have a home in my bathroom - and I am planning my next project!!

Aaron's new uniform!

My son, Aaron, came home this weekend wearing his new uniform - a chef's jacket!!! After years of loving to cook and create new dishes - he has finally landed on the first step of his new career.

He walked in, proudly, Monday night in his chef's jacket, having just got off from work.

Looks to good in it too!!!

Singer 99 - A Great Find and My New Treasure!!!!

Yesterday, Rhea & I decided to go to Crossville, TN just to go somewhere. Nice day to get out.
After spending a couple hours at the big flea market and not buying anything but wanting to bring home a minature donkey (he is now afraid for me to go back by myself for fear the donkey will be in the back yard), we headed out for a quick lunch and the outlet mall.

I am not a fan of any kind of malls - never have been. But in the middle of this mall, they had a store set up with used items that were donated to be sold to raise money for Domestic Violence. Now I love Goodwill, junk stores, yard sales, etc., so I made a bee line into this store. I was on one side making my way over to the other when Rhea, who had started on the other side, came to me and told me to come look at a machine he had found. He thought he had found a featherweight, it was priced $40.


Very cute machine but I was not sure it was a featherweight, so I call my machine expert friend, Marilyn. Told her what it looked like and it had a 99 on the front - her words were "BUY IT".
The needle would not go up & down but after a couple minutes, Rhea had it working. It needs oiling. Anyway, it now has a new home.

Last night Marilyn & I got on the internet and found out alittle about it. It was made Feb., 10, 1956 in Elizabeth NJ. There were @ 25,000 made during that time. Mine has the serial number on the front base , AM316682. On the front of the neck is a label with the engraving 99-. Has a cute tan & brown case with it but no manual or attachments, but I did find the manual online and have a copy of it. (Have found a manual on e-bay for $4.99)

I cleaned it up this morning and it shines - all the gold trim is perfect. Has bobbin, light works and it now the needle goes up & down just fine. We still have to oil it and possibly grease the motor.

After I told Rhea what I have found out about it, he reminded me "He found it for me". I am so glad my husband loves to search for treasures too!!!! Plus talks me into getting them!!! Plus paid!!!!! What else could you ask for!!

So a day that started out with "I should be working at home", turned out great and makes me want to hunt for more junk sales - whose knows maybe next time it will be a Featherweight!!!!

Doing alittle folkart painting

After the last time I had to ply the yarn I spun together, I decided to come up with a easiler way to do it. So I took some clay pots and painted a cute folkart sheep on the front. Painted the saucer to go with it. So cute!!! I have one set done and the other ready to finish. I am changing the colors alittle so it will be different but will make a match set.

After I have washed my spun yarn and made it into a ball of yarn with the umbrella swift. I can put a ball of yarn in under each pot and pull the thread thru the hole in the top. Then using the spindle, I can ply it together to make a two ply yarn to knit or weave with.

These pots look so good just sitting on a table when not using.

So much fun, even though I had not painted anything in years and it took me alot of coats of paint to get the finish I like. I plan to make a couple more sets of these.

First Western Competition

Britney's first western horse competition was held in Sept., near Kingston, TN. A great learning experiment and alot of fun but a very long day. She did come away with one third place, 2 fourth & 2 fifth places. She learnt about about what is expected of her and how a show is judged. Next show will be Oct. 31st., which includes a Halloween costume contest, (hint - her horse will be a cow).

Green Roses!

Britney's last cake for the decorating class was to make the Wilton roses - turned out very cute.

Green roses with purple stems & leaves, chocolate inside.

Now she has to make one for her papaw's birthday!

Can't sleep!!!

Woke up at 3 a.m. - can't sleep - I hate it when I do that!!! My body is tired but my mind can't shut down!!!!

Got a quilt in the frame that is worrying me toooooo much! Gonna get it going today and finished this weekend if at all possible!!!!

Geneology search!!!

Thru some geneology searches I found pictures of my great-great grandfather & grandmother. I had never saw a picture of them and did not know too much about them. My grandfather talked some but I guess I just don't remember too much. Problem when you are young - you think they will always be here to talk to.

My ggreat grandparents were William Jefferson Tallent and Lucinda (Lucy) Veal Tallent. My grandfather, William Leo (dark t-shirt) and his younger brother Woodrow Wilson Tallent are in other picture.

William Jefferson's family came from England & Ireland. Lucinda's gggrandparents were William Wedgbar Underwood (England) & Anna the Cherokee (North Carolina). I am at a stand-still now, can't find anyting else out. Maybe someday.


Also, found some pictures of my grandmother's grandfather. That was an interesting family!!! Just have not got them downloaded yet.

Weaving Buddy!

Soprano is my weaving buddy! He just lays and watches or chews his toy or bone as I try to finish these rugs.

I am so disappointed in how they are turning out that I just want to get them done!! All I see is the warp threads but I won't waste the warp, took toooooooo long getting it threaded up. I know I can use the rugs somewhere.

I have been working very slowly lately. Riding the roads just too much! This is making me very depressed - by the time I slow down at night - I am just too tired to work or play at anything. Got so many created things in my mind that I can't transfer to actual working projects!!