ramblings

I don't always blog as often as I should, mostly because I think I ramble about stuff that doesn't matter much..but I guess its good that I can get it out of my system.  I'm a rambler, what can I say?

I went to a quilting class today. This one was on the lone star quilt. I think its going to be really pretty once I get it done. I picked all pinks, not because I like a lot of pink, but mostly because of the fact that they were the color of the month fabrics at the quilt shop, and were 25% off. Its all different shades and prints, so I think it will turn out kind of neat. The neat part about this class, is its beyond my skill level, so I'm really stepping out there with this, and trying something new. Its nice to have something challenging I would say.

I'm still working on my crochet book of dolls I'm writing. Its a slow process, but I think it will be worth it, knowing that I put all of that hard work into it, even if it doesn't get published. But I'm going to try as hard as I can to find somebody to publish it.

So now you may ask, why am I taking quilting classes, while writing a crochet book??? Well, because in all honesty, sometimes I just need to clear my brain, because it gets too muddled. Once I get my brain all cleaned up from the tangles of the pattern writing process, I can step back into it, with a fresh mind, and have better results.

With spring coming around the corner, I've had thoughts of gardening. I'm going to have to thin out some of my bulbs. They are over grown in some spots, and aren't blooming out the way I know they can. SO my plan is this. I have this area of rocks in the yard, that is over grown with berry briers that I am so going to get cleaned out of there. I started planting flowers in it a few years ago, some peach colored Iris, and they are beautiful, BUT unfortunately my husband decided to let the briers grow up because he wanted the berries off of them. Well they look like crap, and I want my flowers to be able to keep growing. So I'm going to have to get some good leather gloves, and get in there and pull all of those things out of there. My plan is to spread out different bulbs in there so that it has a bunch of different flowers growing up at different times.  Then we have this one hill that I cant keep up with, when it comes to the grass and weeds, so I'm going to move some of my tiger Lilly's there and just let them take over...and they will!!! I think it will look a whole lot better. Those things multiply like fire!!! So I guess my head is wrapped in spring flowers.


So that's me, a quilter, crocheting, flower minded woman this month.

Pattern Frustration...so...so...so frustrated!!!

So, I've been working on a new crochet pattern, or at least trying to start a new crochet pattern. I've been working on a crochet princess doll...OMG!!! I'm having the darnedest time with this poor princess....I can't seem to get her started. I figure I'll just stop for the night, and let it linger. Maybe start on a diff doll pattern, and work the details out in my head a little more....gah..its so weird to have crochet creation block!!!

that time of the year

Well, its that time of the year!!! Frank and I went out last night to Harrisonburg and had dinner, and did a little bit of shopping. We picked up the stuff to start our seeds for our garden. We are hoping that by starting our tomatoes this early, that maybe we will be able to get some early tomatoes. We are hoping to be able to get more canned this year than we did last year. Of course we are also hoping for a bit more rain this summer for the garden as well.  No, were not trying to be survivalists or anything like that, it just tastes better, saves money, and will get us through most of the winter.

I've been back in design mode for my crochet patterns. I'm finishing up a pattern now for my craftsy shop. Its a ballerina. She is so adorable!!! I'm about to start the step by step process where I take pictures to go with the pattern. It will be the third one I've made!!! I hope that this one does just as good, if not better than the Amish couple pattern I wrote.

I did get the quilt topper finished for last month. I just didn't finish making the quilt itself. I need to put it with batting and backing, and get it quilted. The next quilt I'm going to be working on is going to be a two month quilt. It has a lot of pieces to it. I knew from the beginning that there would possibly be a two month quilt topper to make. This one has over a thousand pieces.

My worm farms are going quite well!!! I'm seeing lots of babies in all totes, which is what we want. The other day I got in there and did the big turn. It was a little gross, but it had to be done. For the love of those worms and what they represent...it had to be done!!! LOL

Well that's about all from here for today!!! time to get back to Etsy shop work, and then onto that pattern for craftsy, and then to start planning out the next pattern I'm going to write for my shop.

Ta ta!

Everything

Ever have one of those days where Everything just seems to get to you? Where it seems like the world is just not going the way you want it to?

I had made plans to do some movie watching with a friend of mine, well I got over there, had a cup of coffee, and we started watching a movie...my phone rings, its my mother, she tells me, I'm sorry you decided you needed to spend the day with your friend when I want you over here. Its like, every time I make plans to hang out with friends, my phone just rings and rings and rings, its crazy!!! (of course its always my mom) Once again, this is one of those times when I freaking hate her husband for isolating us from family that could help me out with this, because he is just to good to be around her side of the family, that he's so much further up...at this point, I cry bull shit. As much as I love my husband, and the life he and I have here in Va...I wish she had never met that man, so that we would still be in california, so that I could have help with her from cousins, and aunts, and uncles. I'm just highly frustrated is all you know.

Of course this is also one of those days when I feel like I'm just being nit picked at, I'm probably not, but it feels that way...I'll get over it I'm sure, I guess its just because of my mom.

Well I guess I had better close this up and get some laundry put away!!!

Busy Busy Fun!

I've been a bit busy here lately, and its all been crafty!!! I've been working on lots of crochet, and lots of quilting. the quilting has been for me, the crochet has been for my Etsy store...I still have only sold 1 item on there, but I'm optomistic that once I get a wider variety of crochet items on there, and work on my FB page for it a little bit more it will get better. Its just a matter of promoting, and working and lots of word of mouth. I still haven't gotten my dolls posted on there, which is totally my fault I guess. I took them outside to get pics of them in good light, well, I forgot to check the battery in the digital camera, and the darn thing died after 1 pic..lol. I'll try again tomorrow. Not today...today is the day I take dinner back to grandpa, and I'm listening for the oven timer to go off. I'm baking a pound cake. Betty Crocker to the rescue! LOL

I've been working on writing some new crochet patterns. I'm writing some 18 inch doll clothe patterns. Some of them are going to be free patterns, and some of them are going to be for my Craftsy store. Either way, its fun!!! :D

Cold night

Its a cold wet rainy night...I'm just glad for lots of blankets, and warm doggies. Yes, we have heat, but the sound of the rain hitting the roof just doesn't make me feel warm.

Well, our worm farm has got me thinking about how much we waste, and what kind of a foot print we leave on earth. I've decided to start small, were already keeping a lot of paper and cardboard out of the trash, but what about all the plastic and glass...???? I've decided that its time to start recycling to begin with, and I think I'm going to look into making our own laundry soap, deodorant, and maybe tooth paste. That alone would take a good deal out of the trash...and maybe save us some green...maybe

We have started composting which had been neat, I never realized how much coffee we really do drink...its almost startling.

Crochet designs

Well, I sold another pattern today, bringing it up to a grand total of 4...and they were all the same pattern. The Amish doll pattern.

So, I'm working on some new patterns now. I'm designing some doll clothes. I have some of those Springfield dolls. I love them. I have a blonde and a redhead. I want to get the whole collection, I think there are 3 more to get. I love designing doll clothes, it's so fun. That's probably why I love those dolls. Right now I'm working on a whole collection. I'm thinking if I design about 10 items of doll clothing that will give me a good start, and let me post them a couple at a time while I design more, or work on some other crochet patterns. I want to try my hand at another doll. I'm not quite sure what I'm after yet on that line. I dint know if I can top the amish dolls. I can try though. Maybe a giant stuffed frog...anyways...well see. For now I'm thinking it's nap time.