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Quilt Top by Me, Hand Quilted by my Mother, Doll crocheted by my Mother

Friday, September 28, 2012

my MRI


 
OH MY, Yesterday was a horrible... you know I have been having problems with pain in my neck and shoulder... I went in for the series of pain shots, but this time they didn't work like they did in the past. So I had a X ray taken which showed spur and arthritis in my neck... so MRI was scheduled, Thursday was the day for that adventure. I usually don't have problems with a MRI, but today was different... I got loaded in the machine and I had my eyes closed, they handed me a buzzer in case I had a problem. I was OK for the first round of washing machine noise, but then it happened.. In between I was allowed to move, shift or swallow.. OK I moved a little, I shifted a little to get comfy, I swallowed and then it happened... I opened my eyes... That's it panic set in, I closed my eyes and kept talking to myself to calm down that everything was OK. Don't panic, I have the button if I need it and I know they would get me out in a minute if I had any kind of problem.   I wanted out of this thing, but if they took me out would I be brave enough to enter the machine again.  I really don't think I would have, I came so close to pushing the button so many times during the rest of the test, which lasted 30 minutes. Then finally as I prepared for yet another round of washing machine noise the technician appeared and brought me out of the tunnel. I made it through the test, when I came out I told the guy I almost pushed the button many times. He said he got good pictures which was a relief as I really don't think I could have gone back into the machine that day.... Now it was over, I was free to move, to open my eyes, no more tight cramped space to panic in... I went out to meet hubby who was waiting in the car and I was still shaking... I just hope I don't have bad dreams tonight because of the experience of being locked in a little tube. I will tell you this, if you have to have a MRI done and they put you into the machine, keep your eyes closed, take a sleeping mask if you must so you don't see the inside of the machine, or maybe find one of the open MRI machines, I really think that is what I might do the next time they say I have to have a MRI done.
 
 

Friday, September 21, 2012

Martelli's Prize Delivery

Today is the day that my  Prize arrived from Martelli's
I told you last week that I won a prize from Martelli's online giveaway... It was easy to enter, just sign up for their newsletter on the Martelli's web site.  Martelli's is located in Pensacola and they have a beautiful store, lots of fabric, supplies, threads, books, Machines and their custom made tables, and their own special cutting system which is fantastic to use.  I have some of their rulers, and cutters, and when I found their web site, I was eager to sign up for the newsletter, what better way to find out about their sales.  I saw on the web site the Grand Prize was a cutting system and table, but they also had a monthly drawing for a gift certificate or one of their great products and I was so hoping to win one of those... I mean really who expects to win the Grand Prize....Not me...   Then the phone call informing me I was a winner... Great what did I win a Gift card or product... NO, I didn't win one of those, I won the Grand Prize... This is my prize sitting in my sewing room
I can raise and lower the table with the control...

look at all the goodies on the table, even a tote bag to take the cutting  pad to class if I want .
 
Now for a quick tour of Martelli's Pensacola Store..
 
would you believe this is a wedding ring quilt, This was the man's first quilt. 

All the pretty little Janomes sitting in a row

the class room area

more of the class room

lots of lovely gift to choose from and do you see the BIG commercial Janome embroidery machines in the background.

a wall of fabrics


one of the long arm machine on a custom made table

quilt patterns

this would be the wall Mel would like, lots of beautiful handbags... they will even embroidery a design on the bag for you...
 
hope you enjoyed seeing my Grand Win and the tour of the Martelli's Pensacola Store...
 
If you would like to visit the Martelli's web site here is the link and don't forget to sign up for the newsletter, who knows you might be the next winner at Martelli's
 
 
 

Sunday, September 16, 2012

A contest for Charity

Voting is now open on the Facebook favorite Charity Quilter contest....  Here is the voting link to my entry...  thanks for voting
https://apps.facebook.com/promotionshq/contests/282227/voteable_entries/58061860




Contest for Charity Sewing...

Monday Sept 17 voting will start on Face Book for your favorite Charity sewer.  I sew and quilt for the World of Charity Stitching Group.  This is a Yahoo group with the goal of bringing smiles to those who need cheering up... Our group stitches squares for a theme, the squares are sent to a quilter who will make them into a beautiful quilt.  The quilts are given to Seniors in nursing homes, ill children, Ronald McDonald's house, a abused women's and children's shelter, cancer patients, and sometimes we will have items for newborns of mothers who are low income or whose spouse is serving overseas. 
Most of my sewing/quilting is with WOCS, but I also have done special request sewing for children, made items for a homeless shelter, sewed Teddy Bears for Police and Fire Department to give to children in stressful situations, and I am currently working on my first quilt of valor.

Here is the link to my Contest page  https://apps.facebook.com/contestshq/contests/282227/voteable_entries/58061860
Please take a few minutes tomorrow or next week and vote for me and my quilts. I would really appreciate it if you could also share my link on your blog or FB page. 

My entries

this is the latest finish, a quilt for a lady with breast cancer

A quilt design that started as a idea in my head and this has become a very popular design, we have made a butterfly quilt, the birds, a scroll pattern, a Celtic heart and current design is a scroll heart pattern in shades of pink and reds

A  lovely cupcake quilt, which will go to a senior this holiday season.
 
These are the quilts I choose to enter in  the contest, if you like them or the work World of Charity stitching group does, please take time and vote.
 
Remember voting will start Monday Sept. 17 and here is the link again
thanks for you help..
 
 
I forgot to tell you what I can win... A New Pfaff sewing machine, now isn't that a great prize for a charity quilter to win????
 
Thanks Again
 
Bonnie

Friday, September 14, 2012

I just finished assembly of a quilt top which was a special request  for a lady with breast cancer. Her friend sent in the request and the quilt was started with the  World of Charity Stitching  members stitching  squares with her favorite things and colors, her friend even stitched her dog for the quilt.
All squares were sent to me and one of our members sent Breast Cancer awareness fabric to use in the quilt.  This is the result, I love the colors and star blocks highlight the stitched squares.
Now the quilt will head into meet Nellie Belle my quilting machine, then it will be mailed to Teresa as her special quilt, just hope she likes it.
 





Quilt Delivered

This is Mel, she received this owl quilt from the World of Charity Stitching group last week.  Mel was nominated by a member of the group.  Mel has had numerous surgeries this year, is currently recovering from surgery on her ankle and the group thought a quilt might just cheer her up..  Speedy recovery to you Mel.


 Big news, Big win

I am so excited, yesterday I got a phone call that I had won something really wonderful... Sat. I am heading to take photos of one of the items and will post that photo.. My item will arrive in a couple of weeks. I am so excited, oh and if you want a hint as to what I won... Martelli's is the clue...


Thursday, September 13, 2012

Rowenta Iron was on fire

Irons, for years I used my granny's iron and I think it must have been one of the first ones made, but it was dependable. You know, now that I think about it that  iron was a GE 
 
 Now I am a modern woman and for years the job I had required me to wear a uniform which had to be  pressed just so... thankfully they finally went to permant press which meant little of no ironing, so the iron spent most of its time hidden away just waiting for its time to take care of wrinkles.. When I was young ironing was fun... OK I was young..  Then as I got older it bacame a chore and I just hated chores, so yes I was glad to see fabric that didn't need the use of a iron. 
 
Fast forward and now I make quilts, lots and lots of quilts and my iron never gets put away.  It is a quilter's right hand as you press at almost every step of the process. A iron is a tool I just can not be without.   I went through iron after iron and most were to light weight and just didn't do what I wanted.  So last year I decided to save up and buy a really good iron..  I bought a Rowenta Iron, top of the line, quilter's choice, my opionion now is I should have gotten the iron in yellow as it was a lemon.  YES a lemon, or maybe I should say RED as it got super hot the other night as I was ironing with it, then it started to steam, then smoke... well I picked it up and headed outdoors, put it on the patio and it kept smoking... OK, don't want a fire here so I got water and poured it on my lovely iron and did the smoke rise, the iron spitter and spat at me.  Once I knew the fire was out, that iron went into the trash.  I mean really you pay a high price for these irons and expect a good dependable iron and the thing dosen't even last a year...   So until I can save up for a Oliso Iron, I went out and bought a GE iron, way less money and it has the weight and steam that I want...  who knows this one might just last a few years...
Now if anyone own the Oliso Iron let me know if it is worth me saving up for one or if I should just stay with my inexpensive GE.
 
Oh and as for customer service at Rowenta, forget it, they do not respond to problems, just looking at their FB page I am not the only one who has had a Rowenta Iron go up in flames. One person on their web page said to check where the iron was made.  Ones from Germany are great, ones from China are junk...  Same name, same company, different location for production.. I expect a Rowenta to be a good iron no matter where it is made..
 
 
\
MY NEW GE IRON
 
 
 

Saturday, September 1, 2012

Paula Deen is in the house

YES, Paula Deen, Food Network star is in the house, MY HOUSE... Well, not the real Paula Deen, but this Paula Deen....

 
Hubby was sweet to me today and bought me a new set of cookware. I was in need of new cookware and would have really like some Calphalon, but they are so expensive.  We found a great sale and I had my choice of Kitchen Aide, T-Fal or Paula Deen  and your know I chose that sweet southern gal... Now if I could just cook like her..
 
Thanks Sean for the Cookware and thanks Paula for the great design