QuiltingGrannie

11/4/11

Still trying to learn my way around this new board, but finding things little by little.

For those who are new, for those who are new to this blog thinky, and for those who don't know much about me...

I have only been quilting for a little over 2 years. In that time I've also started by own LA and quilting biz and plan to start teaching next year. I still work 32 hours a week at WM in the fabric department! I get the privilege of working with customers who sew, craft and quilt and help them with their projects.

Over the summer I had the manager of a restaurant contact my DH about me making quilts to put up for consignment sale. She put in a special request for fall, Christmas 'stuff' and pot holders. I set to work to produce them so they would be ready for their opening in Sept.
Well, long story short.... the restaurant is open and doing well! The space they had set aside for the consignment items????? is being used for customers dining and enjoying themselves. We were not contacted that the shop would not open as they had planned. I was busy making items to have for sale there. Now.... they are waiting for buyers and new homes.

I did however have another restaurant open up close to the house that now has my quilts and quilty things on display for their decor as well as for sale!

I hope they will all sell.

In the mean time - I am here. I have customer quilts to longarm and a quilt to finish for my DH for Christmas!

Wishing everyone a great weekend. I'll be busy ---- quilting!

Happy Quilting
Phyllis
QuiltingGrannie
Quilter's Pantry

Learning more and more on the new QB. Not liking everything about it, but dealing with the change. It takes time. Some things I won't even look for. I know how to read the latest posts, post new things, and do my blog.
I still can't find some people that I could so easily find before.

But, life goes on.

I'll be busy today working on a customer's quilt doing the longarm work on it for her. I was going to do it via the computer, but had a dream last night that may have changed my mind. Will see once it gets loaded.

Having said that - I have to get going.

Wishing you all a great day.

Phyllis
QuiltingGrannie

Found out yesterday that it is probably a good thing my quilts did not go into the consignment part of the restaurants. The lady who was our contact and the manager of the new establishment is going back to her old job. Things are not working out between her and the owner so she is leaving. He has never been in the restaurant biz and had hired her because she had been. Now he is not listening to her suggestions and business is not the best. Service is slow and other issues.

Such is life.
I move on and learn. I learn again - that God is in control, that He knows all things, and when we listen to Him things will work out the way they are supposed to.

Wishing you all a great day. May all you set out to accomplish today work out.

Happy Quilting.

Phyllis

Finished a customer's quilt today. All free motion. She had a LOT of applique work on it that I worked around.

Then I loaded three Christmas wall hanging panels onto the LA. I'll get those done tomorrow!

I then have a small Christmas wall hanging to load and do.

Then it may be time to start working on Christmas presents! :)

A Tribute To my Daddy
by Phyllis Dewey

A tribute to my Dad. He passed away in 1979, just 4 months after my son was born. I wrote this poem about him a few years later.

Images of Daddy


Dandelions, Roses, Tulips, Daffodils.
A bottle of Ballentine beer after supper
Sitting in his favorite chair, reclining
Lucile Ball, Ed Sullivan, Lassie, Red Skelton
Walton's Mountain, Little House on the Prairie,
Hee Haw, Golf games, and news shows.
Country Music - Johnny Cash.
Roller skating, ice skating, a row boat named "This-n-That"
Deer hunting, fishing -freshwater, sea and ice, his motor boat.
Rattle snakes, bumble bees, wasps, and bird houses
Raccoons, and bears with little cubs
Cats and kitten, all strays - he hated cats.
Ambulance driver, fire fighter, volunteer fire department,
Christmas tree lights, star in the window, egg nog,
shoveling snow, walking with snow shoes, his "Arty Cat".
Roast beef, mashed potatoes, and gravy, Oreo cookies, crackers-n-milk.
Clam bakes, BBQ grill, hamburgers, hot dogs, corn on the cob.
Family reunions.
Story telling, jokes, a life of adventure.
World War II Panama, California, Lake Placid, New York
Subway in Boston, wind took his hat, Mom.
Molasses in bicycle tire, A & P window,
Rocking chairs, old ladies, Halloween, coal trains,
Drawing pictures on blackboards for the holidays.
Oil burners, plumbing, electrician, a swinging bridge.
Woodwork, carvings, falseteeth
A book case, bedroom set, revolving lamp and wall hangings of wood.
Holding me in his arms, asleep on the kitchen floor, feeling his breath
"There's no such word as 'wentin' you say...." hearing his recorded voice.
Giving his all, "Don't Fence Me In" Daddy and Mom.
That was my Daddy
Love
by Phyllis Dewey

Hi Phyllis

Merry Christmas to you and your family!

I am so happy you started your blog here on the Quilting Board!

Hello one and all.

Time passes by so fast when we are busy. And this time of year we are busier than ever. Quilts to make as well as other quilted, sewn and crafted projects going on for gifts and for customers. I was able to fit in a very fast turn around for a customer! In one day and she came back the next afternoon to pick it up! Was happy to do it for her. It was a gift for her brand new grandson.

I've been working at my regular job busy with customers. It's fun to be able to help out the ones who already quilt, even more fun to help those who are just starting out. And especially fun to help the men who are in shopping for something they know nothing about for their wives.

I've been approached a few times by co-workers to teach quilting classes. So I am getting things together to do just that. They will start in the middle of Jan and see how things go with them.

I also have some of my quilts and wall hangings at a local restaurant and have sold two of the wall hangings in the last two weeks. I'm excited about that! I am hoping it is the beginning of better things to come.

I want to say Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to everyone here on the board. I've not been here as much as I once was, but life got busy! and computer time shrunk.

Hoping 2012 is a better year for all.

Phyllis
QuiltingGrannie
Quilter's Pantry

Just posted a new post in my other blog. End of the year thoughts and reflections.

[url]http://quilterspantrytn.blogspot.com/2011/12/reflecting.html[/url]

Happy New year to all. I hope the new year finds you all well, over flowing with fabric and quilts.

I hope to be here more often in the new year ---as one of my goals is to be more organized and making time for things that took the back seat a lot of the time.

Business kept me busy a lot, trying to get it going and running. Then a few opportunities came up and then after a lot of hard work they fell through. So I was a bit disappointed for the last half of the year. I have goals and plans for the new year which include teaching a beginner class for some local people who want to learn. I also want to get more involved with the guild I joined and to join a second one.
All the while I need to keep doing my longarm work for customers both far and near. Love when the quilts come in from around the country. I have a few that now live over seas including Paris! Love it!

Now, I have to run to get the last of the old year business work recorded for taxes.

Have a great last day of 2011 and HAPPY NEW YEAR 2012

Welcome to 2012.
Spent the day first at church, then some shopping which was uneventful because the main place DH wanted to go was closed.
Then we went out for breakfast. I made that my main meal for the day as my diet sort of started today also.
Once back home I spent the next several hours un-decorating the house!
The house is now back to 'before Christmas' status. Vacuumed, plants back where they belong, and the storage area reorganized and was able to get rid of about 6 empty boxes! Put stuff into plastic containers instead, packed better and takes up less space.
Now, resting. Tomorrow have to work. Tuesday - back to my world of quilting, but will be spending more of it doing tax figures.

I am working on a new quilt design for another pattern to have for sale.

So much to do in the quilting work, so little time.

Phyllis
QuiltingGrannie
Quilter's Pantry

Life got busy in my part of the world over the weekend.
I posted on fb on a news anchors post of what everyone's weekend plans were, that Quilter's Pantry would be quilting and if anyone had quilt tops that needed quilting, or wanted a quilt made to contact me. I had two ladies send me friend requests within an hour.
That eve I did the same response to another news anchor's post.

I had two contact me about doing longarm work,
A third who contacted me about making a wall hanging from her grandchildren's clothes

Then another lady I'd been in touch with late last fall got back with me about making a baby quilt form blocks that friends had made and given at a shower.

Then a lady who I have known since she was about 6 contacted me about making her a baby quilt for her baby due April 22nd.!

Now we just wait for all the work to actually show up at my doorstep (or in the mail as one is on it's way)

I will be busy for a little while.

I did manage to make the top to a wall hanging for my DD. I will longarm it Thursday and start on another quilt I want to make while I'm waiting for orders to come in.

Then, as some of you may have read in my prayer request I dealt with news of my granddaughter being a very brave and smart little 5 year old. Last word on that is all is well and taken care of. Not sure what that all means but I'm not there and can't run my DIL's life. My DS is in the Army and out of state from where they live.

THEN -----
My sister contacted me in a pm that she was going to the doctor about her back. She's been in a lot of pain for the last 6 weeks and can lay down, but not stand up all the way. Walks with a walker bent over at a 90 degree angel anf only for a short distance.
She went to the doctor today and they have her scheduled for yet another back surgery. She just had one a year ago (and that was not her first). Seems the disc above her surgery is bulging. the pins that are in her back from the last surgery will need to put taken out and put back in as well as a new fusion.
She also lives in PA and haven't seen her in about 7 years. We just started getting back in touch last year via facebook. (Long story to our relationship). She is 66 and has been retired for a year now and so wants to enjoy life but has been in pain for much of that time.

THEN ---

Oh, wait - I think that is it. Oh, nope. This afternoon a good friend of my DH's passed away after a battle with cancer. He was a WWII vet, a member of our church and DH thought a lot about him.

And I'm getting concerned about Craftybear. I called her and left her a message, but she's not called me back yet. She's not posted here, nor other forums, nor in her blogs since last year Dec for the forums and earlier than that on her blogs.

Say some prayers, send good thoughts for all concerned that I've mentioned. I appreciate it.

For now, I'm resting and watching TV, here on QB, fb and checking my blog. Tomorrow - back to work.

Have a good evening and rest of the week.

Phyllis
QuiltingGrannie
Quilter's Pantry

If only life would stay as busy as it starts out looking like it will.

Life is busy, just not in the way I was planning it with the business. I have openings if you need a quilt top longarmed. I am making several new items to sell at a couple of shows I am participating in this spring. I'll be taking my quilts to sell, (sold one yesterday! ). I also am making note pad covers, baby bibs, my mini storage units that I made and sold here in the past, as well as my photo pin cushions. Whew - I guess I am busy. LOL
Tonight I get the taxes done and then I can breath a little bit. I hate having them done. Always feel I forgot to add something that could be used as a deduction.

Such is life. And such is my life. Not here as much as I used to be. But know that I think about the members here often and check in to see what people are up to.

Have a great day and until I add more here ----

Happy Quilting!

If you need quilting done - let me know.

Phyllis
QuiltingGrannie
Quilter's Pantry

Rant, rave, vent, ugh. Take your pick.
Freedom isn't free, and Freedom just isn't.
A voice can't always be a heard.
A dream doesn't always come to life.
A goal isn't always reached.

Through the years writing has gotten me into trouble. Once to the point of my throwing out a book I was writing that was over 300 pages long, and ending my dream of becoming a published writer. Just because the fictional book was taken as being real life and it caused a relationship to fall apart (mine). I should have kept the book!
I've written poetry most of my life. My poems are compiled in two potential books. I've written another book which is over 400 pages long. A fictional book that several people who knew about it wanted to know when it was done and ready for them to purchase. It still isn't ready to publish and it never will be.

Would I like to be a writer? A truly published writer? You betcha!
Would I have liked to become a true professional photographer and have my many thousands of photos published? You betcha!
Would I like my quilting/longarm and other craft work to be good enough not to struggle to pay the bills and have to hold down both jobs as well as my DH holding down 2 jobs and us taking on yet another business? You betcha!
Will the 'Pantry' ever get there.... I doubt it. The roads in front of me keep having road blocks and now a true closure. Are there other roads? Of course and I will take them. I've always been the one whose favorite poem is, "The Road Not Taken". I always take the road less traveled. I've always held on just to see what the outcome of events and happenings is. I will continue to do so.
My dreams often get crushed one way or another. I'm good at many things. I can still think of things to write about. I still see beauty through the eye of a camera. I love to be creative with fabrics and complete other's creative fabric works.
For now, I sit, I wonder, I make decisions, I change my mind, I keep dreaming. I take the day off. I do just what has to be done. I search for a glimmer of hope. I search and wonder what I really should be doing. I see the expense I've taken on in trying to 'make it'. I see loosing, yet want to win.
And so, with miles to go before I sleep, I take yet again, the road less traveled, and one day, THAT will make all the difference.

See y'all somewhere on the internet, the forums, the networks. Ya know how to find me. I may be moving on, I may be moving over, I may be still here, I may take a break from it all. I know not many actually read this anyway, so.......

Phyllis
QuiltingGrannie
Quilter's Pantry

I'm sorry, Phyllis, that you're having such a rough time. I truly know the feeling, maybe not just like yours but my own version of it. If you ever need to vent to an unbiased party feel free to PM me. Until then take care and do what's best for YOU.

Well, life went on all spring, summer, and fall. Things improved for my at home work. I've actually written a book too! Working on the editing and then to work on getting it published.
I've been quilting a LOT this year. Creating new things.
And in August my daughter gave birth to a preemie. At 3 lbs 3 oz and just 15 inches long! He is doing great by the way. And we are doing our best to spoil him!
And so, life goes on, we struggle everyday, but we are thankful for what we have.
Have a great Christmas Season everyone.