Computer Problems

My laptop died last week.  Multiple problems:  turns itself on and off, keys don't work, sometimes it doesn't turn on unless I take out the battery.  All of the issues happen randomly.  I went to drop it off at Best Buy last week.  I had 45 minutes between a soccer game and the time I was supposed to meet my friend.  How long can it take to drop off a computer, right?  I mean the soccer field was about 8 minutes from Best Buy.  Well, you can't just drop off a computer at Best Buy.  You have to make an appointment to drop off a computer (who do they think they are?  The Apple Store?). So I waited in line to get an appointment, and then I waited a half hour until my appointment.

 They said it would take 3 days unless it had to be sent back to the factory.  Monday I found out that it is being sent back to the factory.  So now I'm using a clunky old computer we keep in the playroom.  I am not a computer expert.  Way back in 1986, when floppy discs were really floppy,  I worked in a lab that was state of the art.  We had PCs hooked to  automated sampling equipment, a network, a PC that acted as a server, and we sent our encrypted data to our clients. Then I had babies, quit work, and computers passed me by.  I am thrilled to death that I got iTunes and audible set up on this old computer without my husband's help. 

Today's challenge will be to try to get pictures off my camera and onto this computer.  There is no card slot on this computer.  I'll have to find the cables that go to the camera and read the manual.  I hope the cables are in the camera box. If not, I think I'm out of luck.

I've made a few more dresses and a pair of low rise pants for my niece's American Girl doll.  Now I have to find some sort of tunic pattern to cover up her belly when she wears the pants.  There are many free patterns for doll clothes on line. I've also been working on a baby quilt, and I got the Project of Doom quilt back from the longarmer and bound it on Sunday.  So lots of pictures to share if I get this camera/computer transfer figured out.

Doll Dress

I have been meaning to make my niece some clothes for her American Girl doll for a while now but just havn't gotten around to it.  Last night I found a free dress pattern online.  http://sewlikemymom.com/the-katie-dress-pattern/  It is pretty easy.  It only has 2 pieces, and it took me about an hour and a half to do.  I think now that I know what I'm doing, I could finish one in less time.

 

 

 

 

The zipper isn't perfect, but it is good enough for  doll's dress. To see what other people are working on this week: http://confessionsofafabricaddict.blogspot.com/2013/04/can-i-get-whoop-whoop-weighted-blanket.html

 

 

April Ornaments

Big news!  I found my camera night.  It was under my bed.  I'm not sure how it got there, but it had been missing for so long (since March 4!) that I considered going out and buying another one. 

I have 2 stitched ornaments to share this month.  Both of them were UFOs from a few years ago, and now that I have finished stitching them, I know why they were UFOs.

First is SB's Mary and Joseph:

This ornament became a UFO because I didn't have all the proper fibers for it.  It is designed for Weeks Dye Works and Gentle Art Sampler Threads.  I am a DMC girl.  I like the  look of overdyes, but I don't really like to stitch with them, one full cross stitch at a time.  I much prefer to do a section of half crosses and come back with the rest of the cross.  If you do that with an overdye, you lose the variegation.  DMC is cheap and readily available.  The closest LNS is over an hour from me. 

Since I didn't have all the right fibers for this ornament, I made substitutions that weren't quite right for the piece.  I did my best guess as to what color red pear, dolphin, juniper, gun metal, scuppernong, cocoa, onyx ,Williamsburg red, pelican, gold leaf,  and parchment were.

 My biggest problem was the parchment.  To me, parchment is not quite white.  I tried DMC ecru, but it was too close to the color of the background.  In the end, I chose a color that was way too yellow, but I'm not redoing it.  I also made a counting error on this ornament, but worked around it.  Glad it is done!  I'm not sure why such a small piece caused me such big problems.

My next ornament is one I like.  I just don't like my version of it.   This is Sharon Cohen's Tudor Rose Ornament.

My big problem with this project is that  my satin stitching isn't even .  I think the linen count is too big to only use  2 strands of DMC.  I tried filling it in with some more stitches, but it close up, it just looks sloppy.  But it is done.

To see more oranaments:
http://stitchinglotus.ca/2013/04/ornament-sal-april-check-in/

Lazy Sunday, part 2

 

I've been working on Lazy Sunday, a Bonnie Hunter mystery found in Quiltmaker magazine. Bonnie's quilts are not the kind you can whip up in a weekend, but they are scrap quilts, and they help me use my odds and ends. 

 

96 quarter square triangles

 

92 shaded 4 patches

4 shaded 4 patches

 

 

                                                              24               9 1/2 inch blocks

To see more design walls: http://www.patchworktimes.com/2013/04/22/design-wall-monda/

Pollen

More In Bloom

I haven't gotten much quilting done in the past 2 weeks.  First we had spring break.  Then I came down with my son's cold and my husband's GI bug.  I thought I was feeling better today, but I'm not really. I'll spare you the details!  I did get a little yard work done this weekend.  A few more things are in bloom too.

 

I had at least 2 bleeding hearts, but only one came back.

 

 

Last year I had an overabundance of irises.  I split them and kept less than half.  They multiply quickly, so I'll have that many again soon. In the meantime, I'll see them in my neighbors' yards too. I attempted to grow some from seeds but didn't have any luck with that last year.

 

 

This is when I miss my camera!  My phone just can't capture how pink and pretty this red bud tree is in real life.

 

 

Flower Progress

My yellow daffodils (Ice Follies and February Gold) are on the way out.  They lasted a long time because the weather was so cool in March.  I have a few big white daffodils still blooming (Mt. Hood).

 

My white Thalia daffodils started blooming in the backyard a week and a half ago and out front this week.  I like the shape and size of the Thalias, but they always seem a little sad with their heads pointed down.

 

 

I had a bumper crop of grape hyacinths this year.  I am not sure why.  Maybe because of the cold weather?  Some years I barely have any. 

 

 

Last year the irises started blooming on March 23.  I just have a few buds right now. 

 

 

Last year the azaleas and pincushion flowers were already in bloom by March 27.  I'm still waiting for them.  It looks like one of the bleeding heats I planted survived the winter, but it is itty bitty.