Fired my Publisher

Can you fire a publisher that you haven't signed contract with? If the contract isn't signed, is he even your publisher? Not sure.... they were so attentive and acted like they were trying to address my concerns as they were 'selling' me a particular package (discounted, but only until June 30th!!). Once I verbally agreed, and gave them the access of the first of three payments on my cc, they sent me the contract (I haven't signed it yet and NOW don't intend to). Since it took a few days to sit down and browse the details, I realized they HADN'T yet addressed all my concerns. When trying to contact my submission consultant AND the woman in sales and marketing (that called me almost once a day if not every other day at work to 'sell' me), and even emailing them with my concerns, they 'scattered like mice'! They sure had every number that they could reach me at!!

After two weeks of leaving messages and getting nowhere, I finally was given the name of Clem B (book cancellations) and after going through all the 'mishaps', he said he would put the 'request' through for my credit and it should be through in two days. that was for this past Friday. Will see if it shows up on my cc. My cc company already is aware of a 'dispute' on that transaction and they have credited it to my account and taken off the finance charges resulting from me NOT paying THIS amount.

As soon as it's rectified, I'm not ever using them in the future (obviously!), but will check out either www.lulu.com, www.blurb.com or another publisher altogether! (It has been recitified as of July 28th)

I should be quilting, but the trees are falling!

I have three quilts to bring to a local quilt shop (LQS), but I have a tree service cutting two very large trees in my yard and I wanted to watch them... it's fun! I'll post some pictures of them here, but you can check out the rest of the photos. The trees we are having cut down are both in this photo. The one on the far left that branches off to four trunks, and the one farthest away near to the house.

The guys just ran off to buy a spring that broke (is thats not a good sign??)

This tree will just have some branches trimmed... onthe right, going into our neighbors chimney, and one on the lower left that actually points to my sewing room window (which I actually like, but I know that squirrels do too...highway to the roof!

And this red maple (below) has some branches that are wrapping around the electrical lines to the house and I know the electric co won't take them unless they are interferring with the wires on the street! So, off they go!

Well, they're back.... These are a different view of the trees to be taken down.

It was too fascinating to watch (and film) so I didn't get some things done... like the rest of the quilting done for a table runner going into the quilt show this weekend!!! And I was supposed to drop them off at the LQS by 7pm! AND I realized this at 6:10pm!!! I quickly called the LQS and made sure they needed them by 7pm, then hustled my butt up the stairs to finished machine quilting the last three stars! WOW! What timing.... I got there by 6:51pm. Well, the guys are here again tomorrow to finish taking down the stumps (albeit tall stumps). I took some great videos and if I figure out how to post the video I will.

KL's Moose Goose quilt-for CG

I'm making a "Moose Goose" quilt (not sure the name will stay) for a 15-yr old girl with brain cancer. She's on a Yahoo group that I belong to and she likes the color red and moose. I found the moose fabric in Auburn MA at Appletree fabrics on Rte 20, and figured if I got a red dark enough, and a cream, they'd go together pretty well (there's cream in the moose strips).

I cut the strips apart (you'll see the narrower strip in the last photos) and tried to figure what to do with the cream and red. I thought Flying Geese would be appropriate since the are on the narrow strip. I'm cutting the flying geese as 3-D as I may want to "scallop" them. I also thought maybe some large 4-patches could be made and I know a method that makes them fast. Here are the photos of my 4-patches.

I make them with two long WOF (width of fabric) strips, sewn together (right sides tog), and since I'm using different creams and reds, I cut them into twice the size I need before I flip them. For this quilt the narrow strips are 4" wide. So I cut my strips of cream 2.25" wide and my reds 2.25" also. Once they are in the 'two-color' strip set, I cut the sections at 4.5" (I'll explain shortly).

If I double the width and use that measurement for the length, then I can sew both the left and right edges for my 1/4" seam (open at top and bottom), then take my ruler vertically and cut in half at 2.25" . This will give me both pieces to sew together. The nice thing is that if you cut the section a little short/crooked on one piece, you can sew a 1/4" from the edge of the full set and it's still gonna give you your correct 4-patch. (This doesn't work if you really hack off a chunk short... be real, guys,lol).

Because I'm using an unusual size for my 4-patch, I have leftovers from the strip sets and such that I'm keeping. I'll figure out what I can do with them later.

Because the strip of moose fabric is 6.75" wide, I tried to figure a way to make the geese to fit. Since my math isn't great (it used to be good before menopause), I figured I can cut the cream squares to be cut at 3.75" sq. I also have the 3-d flying geese set up so I can fold the red fabric, cut to 3.75" x 7", in half, with the fold at the top of the cream square (matching three raw edges), then lay the other cream square on the red. I sew down one side (doesn't matter which-left or right), as long as the fold is at the top or bottom. And yes, that fold is 1.4" from the top edge! (That's what gives you your 1/4" seam at the point.

Once sewn, they are pressed open then open up the folded red and lay out matching the fold line to the center seam of the cream squares. Here they are finished.

I saved a few 4-patches to use in the corners and the narrow strip I've decided to use as a border...Not bad.....!

Close-up of the corner. Here's the quilt on the design board. I had to take a picture so I can remember where the geese are flying to.

I already have great fabric for the backing and a choice of two fabrics for the binding. (I'll making bindings from both fabrics, since I can always use them for other quilts.

Poor Lee

My husband called and is so disgruntled! He went on an extended weekend trip to KY for the pinewood derby race. On the way back from there (via a stop in Cinncinati, OH), the van they were driving in broke down! Myabe it was the bumper to bumper traffic, but it was acting funny and they had to pull off the highway and let it sit. They had another 8 hrs to drive home.

The guy who he went with, borrowed his mom's van ( and had no $$ to fix it, no AAA card...etc). Not good. See, I should have gone with him. I bring great luck! then he called me a few hours or so later and said they were on the road again. I knew before they broke down, they'd be coming in at about 1am.

Now, who knows.... Well, I have work in the morning, he doen't, so I don't think I'll wait up for him.

Quiet house?

Second night my dear hubby isn't home, ... daughter and grandson went downstairs to bed...(you KNOW, he's not gonna stay in the bed...LOL). There is so much to do... where to start!

I should check and see what's on tv and see if I can do any quilting by hand in front of it. (I'm such a news junkie, I'm afraid I lost track of time and didn't get to see the current "nightly news") ...Or do I go upstairs and set up the sewing machine and start marking the top of Amazing Grace for the machine quilting? Maybe I should just keep on sewing it by hand...

I definitely need to get a cup of tea (I heard green tea needs a splash of citrus for the benefits to pass beyond the intestines...). I have grapefruit which I haven't eaten since I've been on statins for my cholesterol-- I miss it! I know... I'll bring down my cutter and mat and cut some fabric for the Moose Goose quilt!! I also can adjust the label on the quilt going to Charlotte's Garden, Butterfly Sherbert.

Hiccup in quilting process...

First of all, what am I doing watching a scary movie, just before bed, during a rainstorm(Yeah, and WHEN will it ever stop raining!!!!???) , when my husband has left to spend a few days in KY (pinewood derby race)??? NUTS!! And I can't NOT finish watching, as I'll have nightmares over the ending. And since he's gone, I really should empty out the house of 'stuff" ( a Peter Walsh thing), because we are having work done on the interior next week. I just wish my daughter and her son were occupied so I could REALLY have the house to myself and clear, clear, clear!

I guess I'm gonna have to clear out MY stuff and get Julie to do hers... It will be nice to have room in my closets.... oops, back to the movie.

Ok, I'm back ... commercial. Anyway, I will have to bring home a few boxes so Julie can pack up some things that will either go into the garage for a tag sale or store them at her dad's house (he has three bedrooms and lives alone- we have two bedrooms and have four persons here).

Plus Oprah, had an episode of 'what can you do without?"... and even though some of the things they were doing without were things like the tv, computer (God forbid!), excess groceries, clothes (not a problem in this house! LOL- since I hang on to everything!!), but it gave me some good thoughts about all the 'clutter' that can accumulate over the years. I think it will make us all feel better and live a better life. I also want to go back to eating at the kitchen /dining room table. Yikes! What a thought!! Usually, we're in front of the computer (Lee) or the news (me).... BTW, the movie is over, now I can sleep better.

I also , have to balance my checkbook (I'm not divulging how many statements need to be balanced...blush). And get rid of the piles of paper...mail, magazines, papers to read, etc. THAT'S part of the clutter.

I thankfully don't have to babysit this weekend, but it's hard to try and work on stuff I have to stick with when this cute adorable face is peeking into yours asking to "play, Grammaw"...

Hand-Quilting-- What a surprise!

WOW! I haven't done this in ages! And I must say I rather enjoyed it...of course, I did it outside in a chaise lounge, in the shade under a tree, watching the world go by. I even got a good protion of the quilt I'm doing worked on. I had wanted to do the quilting on my DSM, but that means I'm in limited space and feel like I'm fighting it. The only downfall, was my grandson (age 3) wanted to come out and 'play' and I kept getting up and down when he needed to be 'gotten out of trouble' (hey, Julie....! Come out and watch your son...). I may have the center panel all quilted by the end of the weekend.

Then I won't mind sewing the outer edges on the sewing machine.

What you see without the camera!

this photo came from the internet... not mine.

I wouldn't say we're in the country, nor are we in the city.... We do have some wooded trails across the street and beyond the next street, but three houses up, connects to a pretty busy street in town. That being said, yesterday, while helping my grandson use the 'potty', I caught the sight of a red fox running through the back yard! He stopped a few times, enough to make me think I could run in the next room for my camera, but NOooo, Not fast enough!! Darn!

First real day of time off

I decided to take the week after July 4th off. We aren't going anywhere, but I figure I can work on my book and get some things done! I have two quilting projects, along with getting the Peace by Piece quilters Summer bash organized, " A Day at the Orphanage" to work on. It's also my daughter's birthday today. Happy 23rd, Julie!! I'm baking a cake (haven't done that in forever)!I was cleaning up after the baking and saw a woodchuck come through the yard, up to about 10 feet from the window. Snapped a few pictures.

Good thing I don't have anything of value in my garden yet. Oh... is it too late to plant? Annuals. I could put annuals still.

I was hoping to hear from an author I know regarding some questions I had about publishing companies, but she never called. I'll have to email them to her...

Book publishing

I've decided to go with Exlibris publishers to get my book published. Now I'm feeling nervous... I have to connect with them for the final signing of the contract. I have two years to finish it ( although I'll probably have it finished this year.) I mean to work on it during the week (vacation off). This will be good! Lee wants to go to KY the week after next for his pinewood derby race. (I may see if I can take a few days off, so I can do more research on the book).

Back in the Saddle again....

It's almost the weekend (and holiday too), and I'm so ready for a week off of work! I have been sewing again. And that's hard to do, since I've been babysitting on my time off (I had today off for July 4th). I'll be babysitting again tomorrow, but I hope Kai sleeps late so I can sew some more. I'm trying to finish the back of a quilt (being resourceful and 'green'), since I actually got the top done between last night and this morning.

It's appropriately called "Amazing Grace" and it being made for a special friend who's had some rough patches lately. It's been in the works for the last year or so, but circumstances are leading me to finish it quickly. Here are some back auditions...

The blocks in the back are made with the same fabric as the front, but blocks are 'crazy and skewed'. I made them to represent the timeline in his life (as I've known it)... He's had a few ups and downs when things were chaotic, yet had some fun (mid-life crisis) on his Harley... It should be meaningful to him.

Also, went to my nephew's graduation from high school... Congrats, Dan.

The graduate... will be going into the Navy in Nov.

My two brothers and my mom...

Kai thinking he's a big-wig on Uncle Tom's tractor (notice it didn't get out of the garage!??)

Oh, and THIS IS MY FEAR!! (I zoomed for this!) Wouldn't want to mess with the hornets when they come out!!