Dragons are done for now

I finished the dragon for the left side of this quilt. I have not sewn him in. I had to remove stitches from the other one so I can add some flame to its mouth. But before doing this, I am going to play with some chalking in the back so I can a touch of color underneath the dragons so they show up more and than can proceed to finished the top piece of this quilt. the bottom is finished but inside the viewpoint area I am going to add some very tiny bushes and some ribbon embroidery and beading. Than I can machine quilt this baby and give it to my son.. I had fun doing the solvy technique again. its been awhile..but was so worried that my machine would act up, but using the small zig zag, it worked fine. We will see when I put on a larger zig zag..dh says it should work fine but the squeaky noise will be there. I forgot to add that I still have the branches over the arch to do with solvy and have it designed already so that I am looking forward too, I will use snippets with this one.
I said I was not going to take any classes but I have to take Nyla Morrison's new class called Fancy That at quiltuniversity.com.. it looks wonderful. Just hope I can do something like this, it out of my norm. lol but love it. I am taking another class but was already committed to it since Nov. so I will be doing one in Jan and one in Feb. I guess one a month isn't going to be that bad..lol Nyla class will be my 121 class with QU. lol I keep on taking them.. They have two new teachers so I more than likely be taking them too, I always take new classes with new teachers if it is not traditional stuff..I think Nyla is not sure. We will working with wedges..how fun.
Yes, I am up but went to bed at 930 after watching my DVD of Jack Sparrow's new movie, it was so good and funny again..I do hope he does another one, it seems like they left it where they can be one..not like Harry Potter..he is done with..maybe..lol

Finished red velvet purse

Here it is as done as it will get for now. It had handles and could not find them so I will make a beading handle or make a rope with matching color one and add it on later. It also does not have a tassel at the end of the flap because it is where the binder is and can not find it. Carol Miller of quiltuniversity.com (sorry I still do not know how to make it where you can go to the site, yet) sent me the instructions so I could finished as I could not without it..thank you so much, Carol. It is pretty but a bit soft for my taste..I like a firmer purse.
Here is a view from the back. This from a class by Martine House called Silk Ridicule..you learn ribbon embroidery and of course making the purse as you go along.

My naked machine

Here is my poor baby, naked. lol My dh took it completely apart to see what was causing my problem..well, he really did not find it..but says that the darning foot or the foot that has a hole in the front..is causing the problem..My machine does know what it is like to sewn regular..It has been on feed dogs down and open sewing since I bought this with my dad's inheritance in June of 2003..a very long time, it has gone through a lot of classes and a lot of sewing weird items besides over 2300 post cards with card stock and anything and everything I have done on them..but it is still under warranty for life..so I will take it in to the sewing machine doctor, lol and see what they can do. in the mean time I will have to learn on my Janome, used once or my Futura used about 3 times..had the Janome for about 2 and half years and the Futura about a year and half..lol
Here is a side view were I think the problem is. as you can see I use a safety pin as the plastics what you might call it for thread to guide it to the front of the machine..The threader broke the very first week I had it..so maybe they can fix it too, if not it will become an embellisher..lol

My Brother in law's Adironack chair he made

Rick, my bil, in Northport, Fla. made this chair for my sister, Patti for Christmas..it is awesome, Rick. I love it..where is mine!!
Another view..He did this all this in a shop so of course my sister did not know about..I love surprises too..lol
Here is a photo of him on the web cam. they received it from his daughter, Tara and sil, Mike, for Christmas..of course I am having problems getting into the web cam, using hot mail.. so yahoo it is for now till I figure out what to do..

What I will be doing in the next few days

These two photos if of a purse I did in a class many years ago and never did put it together..it is from Silk Ridicule..my ribbon embroidery on the bottom.
This is a dragon trace on water solvy..sp I am trying to finished my son's Viewpoint quilt. I have two dragons on top facing each other and they will have flames blowing to the middle and going up into the binding.. I will show progress as I go.

Christmas Family Photos

This is the Duggar family, Bill, Leah, Katie and Hailey, I just love this card and thank you so much for sending it.
This is Jason and Jamie and dog, no name..lol Jamie gave this to me yesterday and was so thrilled to receive it..thank you both.
Kendra with her hamster. just received this in an email.

More photos from the gathering

Katie playing with her new gift from Aunt Lorraine, an artist scroll palette of the Princess as the scroll for the coloring pages.

Katie and Hailey playing with each other. Leah with Gwen. How wonderful, mother and daughter..
The Strohkirch's gang with Leah..lol Terrance, Leah, me Pauline Mike and Terry.
The Lausterer gang, Terrance, Bill, Leah, with Hailey, Jamie with Katie, Mom and Jason..
second row: Christ, Tracy with lil Gwendolyn, me, Mike Terry.

Christmas Eve Brunch Gathering at the Carpenters

Here it Gwen and Stan Carpenter, our hostesses with the mostess-sp..lol It is a bit blurry but you can still make them out. my dh thinks you have to stand a thousand feet away to take a photo! I was very disappointed with this photo as I do not see Gwen and Stan as much as I use to..I will get a better photo later one..Thank you so much for having us!! This is my two nephews, Chris, are you going Western Chris, I need to get you a cowboy hat..to go with that shirt and those boots..lol and Jason, told you I will have him in my blog..lol Jason and his girlfriend are getting married on June 20 of 2008..can wait to go and see our little ones get married..
A gathering with Leah, back to us, Gwen, mom and John David.
Another gathering but to watch lil Gwendolyn play with her gift from Aunt Lorraine..lol I bought her one of those musical, with a water scene with fish, and monkey on a branch, that lights up when the buttons are push while she is up and than it plays music so she can sleep. She just love it and played with it.
Me, with Tracey and lil Gwendolyn playing with her new toy..she just loved it..love that cute bow on her head. lol

Lets start off with my gifts from Santa

This is coaster that you can put photos into and than use as coasters..This from Gwen and Stan. I love it..I am going to have to find photos to put in them..small ones so I will make my own with one of my software programs..I love it and thank you so much.
My dil, Pauline, had picked my name and she bought me this Julio Iglesias Romantic Classics. It is a very soothing listen to music. Not his style that I like but I love anything Julio does. I remember him coming to Hawaii when he did his very first year in 1980 and my girlfriend, Chermain, and I wanted to go to his concert, of course it was on the island of Oahu, by the time we decided to go..tickets where sold out..the next time the same thing happen but Chermain's mother got to see him in person. Well, I got to see him 2 times here at the casino for his show and his a great entertainer..I just love the way he puts his hand over his heart and says his music comes from his heart. I listen to 5 of his CD every day and every night for the last 7 year..we already went through a 5 disk changer last year it lasted 5 years. lol that is how much I play him, lol
My son Terrance surprised me with this gift for my dh and me..I was so surprised as it was to be only one gift, we have never done one gift before. so I only bought one gift for him as I picked his name..lol and of course for my mom..We have loaded it up and downloaded anything and can not wait. I love photos, as that is our history telling for later on in our lives and those that follow us..I am into photos big time.
My mom gave me this but not for Christmas but since I received it from her on Christmas day I will put it up in my blog, it is a beautiful basket and of course it will find its way to my studio..lol more pretty fabric will be displayed in this one.

Bottle Cuff

My dh forgot to buy a bottle bag to go with this gift for the hostesses of our Christmas Eve Brunch, Christmas eve morning, he asked if I could make a cuff like I did for the coffee..I said yes and this is what I came up with..very very effective I might say so myself..I had scraps from my pin doll of the lime green, which went really well with the bottle of Peach Vodka..lol..I had to sew two pieces together to get it to fit and the on each end I sew in 3 button holes so that I could get the ribbons through..had enough of the scrap to make a tag too.
We took a lot of photos of this afternoon so they will be here in the next 24 hours. Merry Christmas every one.

Coffe Cuffs and chat

I made 10 of these easy and fun coffee cuffs for family, women, lol, tomorrow, to go along with the magnet book markers. Just something small and had so much fun..I still have 3 to go. I will be giving away these 7. The silver one is for our hostess, my ex sister in law who I am still very close to, Gwen (Lausterer) Carpenter..she hostess along with her hubby, Stan, a Christmas Eve day brunch every year and it is a lot of work. we (Lausterer clan) have always been invited and we always have so much fun. Her children are Leah, Chris, and Jason..we haven't had Jason on my blog yet, but we will after tomorrow..I will also get to see their cousins, which we all love like our own..We always look forward to seeing Gwen's parents, Mr and Mrs, Peeler and Betsy who comes from OK and has MS..so is always crying time when we first get there and than eating and than the gathering of groups..lol I still have a couple of things to make tomorrow morning, I will bring 2 dishes..mom will bring 2 dishes..so it helps out some I hope.

This is a close up. some I just added metallic, holographic thread play and some I put some fibers on them..so easy and fast to make. I did most of them from what D'Arcy-Jean Milne from the QA mag, winter issue did. but than I did my own thing with the backs..I do not like any sewing showing whether in the inside or not..so using cotton batting it does stay in place after straight and zig zag stitching the outside. some are the size of her pattern and some a little larger.. I now have a new refrigerator, yes it went out, the 3rd thing in 5 days..so now I have a new stereo and fridge..but now I have a bit of mess in my kitchen to clean up and will wait till I can get around it..if I was having Christmas dinner here, I probably would not have been able to "play" in the last couple of days..lol But it will be held at my youngest son, Terrance's home like Thanksgiving. Merry Christmas to you all, love and hugs, Lorraine

Bookmarkers and they say bad things happens in 3s

Here are a few of the African magnet book markers I made for stocking stuffers. I used Angelina fibers, heated, and than cut alphabets to the person's first name..Sewed them on the side of the book marker will be in the book. These are not ones for the the top of the book but for the side of the book to keep your place with the sentences or paragraph you left off reading. So the opening is facing the towards the left. I place a stamp on the inside where, when remove, you will see it. I hope they like them...something different any way.
Well, yesterday my double door refrigerator went. It is not getting cold at all. The other day my 5 cd player went and Sat morning the awning fell down..well, hoping this is all that will happened before Christmas..they say it comes in threes..all in less in 5 days. We did buy a new stereo when we did our Christmas shopping on Wednesday night..
The insurance will pay for a construction company to fix the roof area but not to put up our awning, they will give us money for the awning and we have to buy it and put it up..I do not understand this as it was attached to the house, reason for damages..
The refrigerator will have to wait, as I like the ice and water dispenser in the front of the door, glad we a small fridge in the kiln room so that is our back up for now..bad thing is it does have an ice maker so ice has to be made.. I won't..I do not use ice in anything I drink..so if dh wants ice he can make it for himself..this is the dark ages for me..lol We will get one after the holidays.
My new glasses did not come in as the people who makes them took time off for Christmas, 3 weeks..so I will not see them till late next week..so what else can go wrong..if it will, it will.

Display for FPC and chat

I finally decided where to the few of the fpc swaps for Christmas that I was in this year..on my book case with all my cookbooks..(dh made this many years ago when he wasn't an old man that he is now, he is only 58) I usually have some greenery around it and also on the utility door that I put my traditional cards I receive..it all really looks very plain to me but I just went with what I had to use..hardly nothing..Maybe you will see your cards here..

A construction company came out the other day, Reed Brothers Construction Co. Well I just laugh when I saw the name..My Eye and Dentist both of them their last name is Reed..All from Millington, Tn..where the base is located..Any way first thing I ask is where they related and the older Reed said all depends on which one..well, I did not pursue it anymore..I printed out some of the photos we had taken of the damages of the back of the house. They haven't got back with us, but dh found out that State Farm does not pay to have awnings put up but will give your claim for it..But the construction part is covered, we have a $500 deductible..so we will pay that. When the Reed co. calls I will ask them if the put up awnings and pay that out of our pocket. I signed the papers for them to fixed the house, after all their name in my book is great..lol Found out that the older Reed is the cousin to the dentist and my eye Dr is his uncle..so the Reeds is a name in Millington..must have had a very large family, mostly men..lol

I knitted yesterday morning a turtle neck to go around my neck. just that, I hate scarves that are so long that it keeps falling in front of you or you end with bugles in the back or front. I been wearing it since.My neck is the coldest part of my body...lol I did it in with Christmas colors..and will make one for every day next week. feels so good and warm..and I can wear it with anything.

I also made some magnet book markers to throw in some stockings..Today and tomorrow I will make the coffee mug holders too..a thing I never did around to making but one..to see how it is done..

Haven't got one Christmas gift yet except for my two nieces up here...so we are going shopping tonight.

We will also shop for another disk player, as mine is on a blink and I hate the face that I have to change Cd all the time now..love the 5 CD holder one..we have had this unit for over 10 years...got our money's worth. I just hope I can find one..Best Buy is out and back order, so we will go to Circuit City..they seem to have some there..I hope and keeping fingers cross. Have a good day.

What my dog suzie does to me every day

For the last few days, my dog, Suzie, is going underneath the tree and messing it up..It is I who has get on her hands and knees and flat to fix this..well, today I left it for my dh..it would be the 5th time..enough is enough..she got a spanking on her butt this morning...First I tried putting presents in the front, it worked for a day for the front part..now I have to go put something in the back so I do not wake up to this tomorrow morning..oh people, she knows what she is doing..believe me she is no dumb dog.. Hopefully she will be good tomorrow so she won't get a spanking..the old newspaper, she hates it..only twice this year I had to use it on her, she is going to be 14 next year, is this why, she is getting old and wants her way..lol no way JOSE!! lol

Pin Doll I received yesterday

Here is my angel pin doll for an exchange in a group from Betty Z in Ca..Thank you so much..As I told it is larger than I would wear a pin. it took up half my chest..so I will just display her. The three photos show what wonderful workmanship has gone into this doll. I have not done this kind of doll since the late 80's but plan on doing more next year..
Her facial photo.
Her back side..wonderful work, Betty. thank you again.

Charms on Christmas Tree and Christmas charm Bracelet

I have worn this twice and have received such wonderful compliments and always have to explain what they are made from and how I have obtained them..but love doing so..Thank you girls for the swap on Christmas charms..hope you can see yours that you sent me..not as full as my every day charm but just as pretty..

My studio Christmas tree with the charms finally on it. and it looks Divine..
A close up of it, hope you see yours on there..thank you again..

All Decorated now finished

I finally finished both trees tonight, with everything else happening today could not get to them..whew..I am satisfied..even if I did not have everything I wanted to put on them..but you do what you can do with what you have..something that is new to me..as I always have my way when it comes to this..not in the last two years..since I can not do it myself, I am humble for what can be done for me..lol This time I put the tree in front of the 3 bookshelves in my living room, which use to completely Christmas stuff on all shelves and on top.. I like it this way as it give us more to move around in our small living room, of course, one less chair to sit on, as always..lol I usually use about 8 strings of red berries but could not find them and use loose red berries and pine cones..looks good.. No candy canes as dh bought the wrong kind..the tiny ones that won't fit around the needle branch..so that will come tomorrow.
This tree is a tall 3 feet skinny tree for my studio..all that is missing is the charms that I have not got around to putting ribbons on to hang from here..will take another with the charms..lights up really nice too.
This is in my dinning room my antique side board..I usually have it decorated different but humbly, I used what I had to work with..not the norm for me..to me it is plain..I usually also have my large nativity set out but not this year, none of the 5 sets that I own are out..I will have to figure out what to do next year if I have to hire someone..lol
This is the top of my entertainment center in the living room, this is usually where my snow baby scene with a snow village and lots of trees on and very pretty. it is nice and it will do..
Oh, you have to met Ducky Wa-ckky..this is his name, he usually greets everyone on my answering service but everyone hates him..so I receive very little calls or was left message last year..I have done this since 1993 when I bought him..the ups man told me what he delivered, he kept on hearing something on the back of the truck and did not know what it was..so when he brought it to the door and handed it to me, it quack!! and we had a good laugh..He quacks Christmas songs..kids love him..guess what I going to put on my message again..what the heck, lol I love him too..lol quack quack..lol

Indiana snow and my brother and wife

Kathy just sent me these two photos, this is Tyler, she baby sits him, isn't he just adorable..hello Tyler..
Snow still falling and this is another wonderful photo of the snow..you did great Donny!!

My brother, Donny Lausterer, took these photos of the snow they received last night..it measures 8 inches..I sure hope all were prepared for this..WOW
This would make a great fabric post card..lol
This is my brother, youngest of 5..Donald Lausterer..hey bro, we are getting older are we not!! love the beard and mustache..looking good!!!
This is his wife, Kathy..thanks for sending photos..I did elf you all ..these are Kendra's parents from 3 or 4 pages ago..
This must be their dog..wow that is a lot of snow..we would be snow bound and everything for sure would be closed down with one inch of snow here in Memphis..This I guess would be considered a blizzard..right?