My Sewing Machine is Sick

My Janome Memory Craft 9000 is in the shop to be fixed.  It's the same problem I've dealt with over the years and just found out last night that there was a recall when the machine was sold.  I talked with the dealer and I was never notified about the recall, so she's going to try and see what she can do.   She'll call Janome and see if they'll do anything.  If not, it has to be fixed properly this time.  In the meantime since I don't know when I'm going to get it back, my husband bought me the Janome Gold Gem 660.  It's a nice little machine, just has a few extra stitches, which is fine with me, I've got plenty on my other one.  

Isn't it cute:)

It's a little smaller than a standard machine and only weighs I believe 12 pounds.  So when I ordered it today I explaned to the gal what was going on and I have two quilts I HAVE to get done by Christmas.  She was a doll, she was going to try and get it sent out today, if not first thing in the morning.     So I have my fingers crossed I can get it by Monday, one of them.  The Gem will be a great backup though.  Have a good week all:)

Luffa

By the way, the Luffa is still green and I have to wait for it to turn yellow to take it off the plant.  Then I'll peel it and clean it real good.  It's not very big, but that's ok, I got one so I'm not complaining. lol

Fall Quilt Went To The Church Auction

I was making a Falll Quilt and then I was asked to make one for the Silent Auction at church tonight.  Well, that was only about two or so weeks ago and I had no idea it was that soon.   So in order to get it done I had to  finish up one that I had started.  I hove a beautiful antiquey reds Disappearing 9 Patch that I wanted to use but do you think I could find where I put it?  NOT  So in order to keep the deadline I used the quilt I was making for myself.  My fall quilt.  It came out real pretty, in the picture the stripping in between the blocks looks black but it's actually a dark brown.

we took the pictures in a terrible hurry because my husband was going to take it over to the church for me.  So it's not a real good picture.

Matthews Quilt

I'm finally getting started on Matthews quilt for Chirstmas.  It's a simple Disappearing 9 patch so it shouldn't take long.  It's in black and whites

He asked me for a black and white quilt so thought Christmas would be a good time to give it to him.   Of course if I don't get my tail in gear and get it done, he won't have it. lol  I have a number of other things get done too, so if this isn't finished I can give it to him for his birthday in March.  I would like to give it to him for Christmas though.  So gotta  get going:)  Have a great day everyone and God Bless!

This is the Luffa now, it's getting bigger and fatter by the day. Unfortunately it is going to be the only one from the looks of things. The nights have been so cool and our days have cooled off a lot too, that there's just no way the blossoms are going to take. So I'm nursing this little baby along. I check it every day to make sure it's still there and a squirrel, rat or raccooon hasn't come along and snatched it. lol It's been quite an adventure this year. Next year I'll make sure they get outside much earlier so they'll have more time to grow.

Jesus Christ Our Lord

I really would like to share an incredible thing that happened this past Saturday evening at Church.  We were all in prayer with our eyes closed and head down when the pastor asked those that would like to ask Jesus Christ  into their hearts to please put thei hand up and open their eyes.  Pastor was commenting on how happy he was and after a couple of minutes I put my head back down in prayer.  In another minute or so he was saying he excited he was about the gentleman that had raised his hand and all of a sudden he asked "are you two married?"  I raised my head and there was my husband Bert with his head up and his hand in the air as well.  I looked at him and then at Pastor Frank and back again.  I was smileing froom ear to ear.  Neither of us knew the other was going to do this, and the Pastor saw that it was quite obvious.  So unknown to one another we both accepted Jesus Christ into our hearts on Saturday night and it waas absolutely wonderful!  What a wonderful surprise for both of us.

The ongoing Luffa Saga

Well, I still have only the one Luffa on all those plants but it's growing.  Our days haven't been as warm as they should be and the nights have been pretty cool.  We're lovin' it, but the plants aren't real happy with it, they staying kind of at a standstill.  My tomatoes are small and still green, I don't think they're ever going to turn unless we get an Indian Summer.    Here's the Luffa though. TADA!

It's about the size of a cucumber, a little fatter but about 7 inches long.  I keep hoping to see more but if I only get one that's better than none.  I'll try again next year.  Have a great day everyone!

Luffa and a Blossom or two

I went out this morning and found a baby Luffa on my plant!!! yaaaaay!  There are several new blossoms too.  The only problem with the picture is I sprayed for ants the other day and the dead ants are still on the blossom on the luffa.  eeeeeeeeeeeew!  Makes me feel like creepy crawly's are on me! lol

Aren't they cool! lolol  I'm so easily entertained it's really scarey somtimes! lol

The Difference in Where Plants Are Placed

You know it really does amaze me, how where you put a plant depends on how it grows.   Here are two pictures of the same plant, they came out of the same pot and have 5 in there.  I put three in one pot and two in the other.  One is in the front of the house and get's the really hot hot western sun in the afternoon.  That's the smaller leaved one.  The one with the large leaves is in the backyard and gets the morning Eastern sun in the morning.

This one is in the backyard and gets the morning sun.

This one is in the front yard and gets the really hot afternoon sun.  Look at the leeaves, they're about 1/4 the size of the one in the backyard.   Kind of mind boggling. lol  You just never know:)

FALL

Be sure to go by my Fall Giveaway and sign up for the drawing.  Click Here to get there:)

Growing Luffa's

Good morning:)  I've been outside taking pictures of my Luffa plants.  I decided this year I was going to try my hand at it.  Luffa's are the rough sponges we shower with?  I always thought they came from the sea so imagine my surprise to find out they came from a plant.  They grown much like a cucumber does, on a long plant that gets about ten feet tall or so.  They bloom like a cucumber and then the luffas starts from there.  I had one blossom and was really excited until yesterday when I checked on it I saw i'd gotten ants and they pretty well demolished that poor flower.  There are several more getting ready to bloom though so maybe, just maybe I'll get at least a few luffa's. 

This is what the Luffa plant looks like, I have them in containers with large tomato tenders.  They've gotten quite large in the last couple of weeks, even with our cool summer.  Which I'm afraid is going to be a problem for the lufffa's growth.

That little pointy thing (a little on the blury side is going to be a blossom if all goes well.  The luffa's look like a cucumber when they first start growing but get quite thick and resemble a zucchini more as they get larger.  You don't pick them from the plant until fall when the plant begins to wilt with the fall weather.  So since i have them in containers i'm hoping if they need more time to grow I'll be able to move them into the garage and give the plant a little extra growing time.    I HOPE! lol  I had these high hopes of having luffa sponges for everyone at Christmas time.  Putting together baskets with Gails soaps and lotions, all handmade items. Or homegrown.   It can still happen, so time will tell.

Later with any luck I'll be able to show how you clean them and have sponges:)  Have a great day!

BakingI

I know it's early yet, but I've decided to try and get a jump on the holidays.   I've started baking cookies, and freezing three quarters of the dough with my sealer.  I always wait till the last minute and end up spending day and night in the kitchen but this year, nope, not gonna happen. lol  I also have a recipe that was my grandmothers, it's an applesauce cake and it is delcious!  I'll be posting that here soon.  I have to pull out all my cookbooks and recipes to get to it. lol  Hope everyone is having a safe and happy Holiday week end.  Enjoy those BBQ's and family gatherings.  Don't forget to scroll down and sign up for the Fall Giveaway, those candy corn pinwheels for the yard are really cute. 

Fall Giveaway

Scroll down to the Fall Giveaway and sign up for the drawing.

My Angel Here On Earth

I'm here to tell you about a very dear friend of mine.   We'll call her Victoria.  Ovarion Cancer struck her two years ago.  That wasn't bad enough, after a complete hysterectomy her stay in the hospital was extended to almost a year and a half.  She had heart complications on four occasions due to reaction to med's.  She had four or five severe infections brought on by bacteria she contracted in the hospital., not to mention all the complications brought on from all of that.  Victoria also had four blood clots that had to be treated that were life threatening.  Since she has been home, she's been back to the hospital several times with various complications, and on top of that, she's on her second round of chemo therapy.

She has good reports right now and two more treatments left.  The thing that has absolutely amazed me, is that at her worst time, she managed to keep a positive outlook.  She has been as much a support to her friends as they have been to her. 

When we talked the other night, I told her I had to go in for a biopsy after something showed up on my Sonogram.  She said to me,  "I know I can tell you don't be scared, but you will be, I know I can tell you not to worry but you will, but what I CAN tell you is look at me.  I'm still alive:)"  That was the most supportive thing I've  been told.  I've had friends say it's nothing, and those that have been very supportive.  I know it's probably a minor thing and at this point I'm not reeally too worried about it.  I'll save that for after the biopsy:) 

Victoria has always been there beside me through thick and thin for almost 60 years.  We've been together since grammar school, divorce and up to now.  I have to tell you, she's been my Guardian Angel here on earth.  There no matter what, and GUESS WHAT?  She has hair again:)

A MIRACLE PARTY!

A "MIRACLE PARTY" INVITATION FOR YOU--PLEASE JOIN US...Lets Celebrate Colette's Makeover Reveal Video & Story! Janome Sewing Machine GIVEAWAY! And Much More....


Colette Gauthier was suffering with cancer. She had moved into a tiny and dismal rental home. And, she was almost out of hope.

Pink Saturday has joined in with Kellee at the Katillac Shack for a Miracle Party blog event on Saturday August 28th. This is to celebrate Colette's recovery and in attion hope you will leave comments to thank and encourage GGuideposts to sponser more Miracle MakeoversKellee decided to take a crew up to Michigan, in the middle of last winter, to create a healing room in which she could recover. Friends and volunteers became "Design Angels." A miracle resulted. The story is featured in the September issue of Guideposts Magazine.



A "MIRACLE PARTY" INVITATION FOR YOU--PLEASE JOIN US...Lets Celebrate Colette's Makeover Reveal Video & Story! Janome Sewing Machine GIVEAWAY! And Much More....

Come to the Katillac Shack on Fri the 27th, Sat the 28th and Sun the 29th

Want to do another good thing? During the party, Design Gives Back will donate $1.00 for every comment you leave here -- or at one of the link parties -- to go toward another makeover project. A similar "comment fundraiser" is how we started with Colette. Together we can change things

HAVING A GIVEAWAY FOR FALL!

HAVING A GIVEAWAY FOR FALL!

I'm having a giveaway  and the winner will receive these three Candy Corn Pinwheels Garden Stakes.

  Each is approximately 25 inches high

The Giveaway starts today and ends Sept. 25th when I will hold a drawing for the winner.  Be sure when you comment that you leave your name and a way for me to contact you.

All you have to do is:

1. Leave a comment with your name

2. Sign on to be a public follower to 

on this blog.

3. Post  this on your blog and you

will receive an extra entry:)

The winner will be notified with in the following days so she/he will have them for October:)  If you'd like go over to my other blog Candi's Eye Candy and sign up for the Giveaway over there!:)  An adorable set of Pumpkin Garden Stakees.  Tooo cute:)

Quilts for Connor and Grandma

This one is for Connor and will go to his Grandma's house:)

This one too is orange and green, completely by accident, but this one goes to the Grandma to keep at her house.  Grandma's have to have their "baby stash" too, don't they? lol

This one is going to go to Connor too.  The orange and the yellow are the same, just the sashing and backing colors are different.      I have one more to make for Grandma, it's a red and white one that is really cute.  It has black and white puppies on it.  The top is done, but I have to get it loaded on the frame and quilted. Then of course do the binding.  I'm hoping to have all that done by this week end some time.  Happy Day everyone.

The Process Pledge

I took the Process Pledge today and thought I'm really giong to try and keep it up. I just finished the binding on three quilts for a friend. They're all three for her grandbaby, one is a baby quilt and the other two are a little larger than Crib size. They came out pretty good, but not without a lot of issues along the way. lol I have one more to do it's a red, red&white stripes, and black and white with red scarves on puppies. It's really cute. It's flannel so won't be used till winter I'm sure. It's almost the size of a twin bed though, so it can be put on the floor and the baby can lay there and play. He's just turning two months old now. I'll post pictures of them later today. Have a great day all!

The Processing Pledge

I, Candi_Harris, pledge to talk more about my processes, even when I can’t quite put them in the in words or be sure I’m being totally clear. I’m going to put my thinking and my gut feelings out there.

Lots To Do

This is the pillowcase I'm making to match the quilt for what we now are about 99.9% sure is a girl.  She's due any time now, so now I get to go crazy with pinks. lol

Here's the quilt I have on the frame to start tomorrow morning.   It's pretty warm back there all ready, so won't work on it tonight.  This is for a 12 year old little girl who is the new granddaughter of a dear friend od mine. 

Tops For The Girls and Baby are Done! yahooo

I finally got the quilt tops done for my dear friends son's girlfriends two daughters. lol  I also got the two done for my daughters fiance's two daughters.  Two are for Easter gifts and the other two will be given to them at a baby shower to be held at the end of next month.  There are two of the top one, that's the top and the fabrics in the top.  There are also two of the second one and that's the top and the fabric's in the top.  The bottom one is a wonky one for the young girl who is 12.  I don't think she would have appreciated the kiddy fabric.   I've also got two more going that are large baby quilts.  These were quick one's to do because I don't have a lot of time to get them done in.  I hope to start quilting them tomorrow or by the week end at the latest.

Help Frankie Keep Her Home!

Please go to the link below. Visit this blog and leave a comment. For every comment left a $1 will be donated to this cancer patient to save her home. Feel free to share this on your wall. Thank you.DESIGN & BELIEVE: How Our Homes Help Us Heal...Today Your Comments Earn $1 For a Friend-in-Need...Th






www.katillacshack.com

UFO Group

I belong to a UFO group and once a month we take one full day to sew.  It's a Friday one month and Saturday the next.  We start sewing at 9 (or is it 10) in the morning and sew till 6pm.  We take a picture of what we're working on and post it.  We check in periodically ro show where we are at.  Friday I worked on a fall quilt attempting to get all the blocks done.  I got them 2/3's of the way done so will try to work on them a little more today. 

This is one of the blocks of the quilt I'm working on.  It's not flowers in there, it's actually turkey's:) lol  The colors were so perfect for what I wanted that's what I went with.   Hope to get some more done on it today.  I seem to get distracted very easily these days.  Have a great day!

New York

Well, we went to New York the 14th through the 21st of Dec. and what an incredible trip it was.  My brother Frank, my sister Loretta, my daughter Jo and a dear friend of ours Dianna all went.  We stayed in an apartment in Manhattan which was really nice because it gave us so much more freedom.  We all took different pictures of the various places we went so I have some and the others have the rest.  Soon we'll be able to get them all together.  We saw the Rockettes at Radio City Music Hall, went to see In The Heights at the Richard Rogers Theater, went to the Empire State Bldg, Central Park, Times Square and on and on and on.  We even got caught in a blizzard.  When we went to the theater it was snowing, but when we came out it was a blizzard! lol  We had a ball.  We hiked to a restaurant and had a late dinner, then hiked down to the subway and took it to within two blocks of where we were staying.   The snow was absolutely gorgeous, a dream come true when you're in NY this time of year.  Here are a couple of pic's one from the Empire State Bldg. (it was foggy so visibility was low) and the other of the Plaza Hotel.  The first one is Times Square, which is always packed with people!!