Really nice to confirm that quilters are not "home makers"! :lol: I have my own sewing/craft room also. Have a smallish double wide home so the room isn't so big. I have so much stuff in it a bought a sewing table with wheels so I can bring it into the living room when I want to sew! :oops: I won't let anyone in there cause they would never find their way out. Sometimes I have "walking space" and sometimes not but I have lots and lots of stuff to look through when I need something I know I have. I don't spend a lot of time quilting but when I want one as a gift I spend all the time I can on it. I hand quilt or do counted cross stitch while I watch TV with hubby. One day I would like to organize that room but when I have the time I don't have the motivation. But life is short and when you need a quilt for an occassion that takes top priority doen't it? :lol:

I am definatly not a home maker. My family makes my house a home. I do tend to focus better when the deadline is hours away as opposed to weeks or months. i procrastinate way to often. Like right now I am playing with my embroidery machine making sucker holders instead of working on Tia's quilt. I am going to work on it as well today. At least I hope to get stuff done on it. The main blocks and the embroidery are done. I need to cut the embroidery out and figure out what I am missing. I am trying something a little different with this quilt. With it already being late I could take as long with it that I wanted. :lol:

sucker holders? I am very, very curious...it is a new term for me...

Yes, Cutebuns...what are sucker holders? I am a candy maker and have made some wood sucker holders for the hard candy suckers I make but not sure that is what you are talking about??? We have a lady in our sewing group who makes "quilt" suckers...look like all day suckers on a stick but they are fat 8ths that are rolled and wrapped. Is that what you are doing?

Feathers

Here is a picture of my progress. i love digital camera's. Once all of them are done they will be ripped out of the hoop. You can't see the ribbon on the back, I cut the slots and stick in the sucker. I have a supply of Halloween ones done and at Christmas I have candy cane ones. They are great gifts. My favorite site for embroidery patterns is www.emblibrary.com they have lots of projects and in the hoop things that are completly done in the hoop. Once in a while I throw in some fabric or change the thread. I can go do other things while it is doing most of it. Otherwise I end up watching the needle go up and down. I will post other pictures of stuff if you are interested in seeing them.

these little bear are darling and I would LOVE to see some of the other stuff you make. I get inspired by the pictures. Thank you,
Feathers

Cutebuns, Thanks for posting the picture and satisfying my curiosity. That is a cute idea!

no problem. I enjoy what I do. I have been playing with embroidery machines for litterally years. 14 come feb. I will hunt down a few more things, put new batteries in the camera and take a few pictures. Too bad the idea wasn't mine. Home made suckers would go great with them. I at one time played with making stuff like that. It has been years though. It is also something that I have thaught to get back into as I enjoyed it. I think I even have some of the molds left from back then.

I too am curious about suckers.

*sigh* I clean my house but only because I have to and because I hate living in a dirty house worse. Dirty and cluttered are waaaay different though and I cannot seem to get my DH to realize that. If only I could convince him of the difference it would clear up at least an hour of my day for better things, like quilting. :wink:
~Tiffany

I have mine trained to do a bit. He was doing laundry earlier. Kids help out some as well. Somedays they want me in here more than I want to be in my sewing room. Especially if I am working on something for them. Tia is bugging me to get her quilt done.

Sadly, my DH doesn't train well and I've no kids left here at home to help me out. You'd think that would make things easy and once clean they'd stay that way but it doesn't seem to work that way in this house. :? I'd like to blame him completely but I seem to have these super powers. I sit down, set my stuff down, and suddenly everything spreads and I'm using up a ton of space. It happens everywhere, home, workshops, guild meetings, board meetings, bees... :roll: If I had the money, I would hire a maid to come in once a week and I would consider it money well spent and time well saved. :lol:
~Tiffany

When I was still working my DH told me I could hire a lady to come in and clean so I didn't have to...unfortunately, I didn't because I KNEW I'd kill myself cleaning things up BEFORE the cleaning lady came in so she didn't think I was a complete slob! :roll: :wink: :lol: :lol: I never did hire anyone.

DH did hire a lady when he was single 30 years ago...she pulled the refrig. away from the wall and ripped the linolium off the floor. She threw the drapes in the washing machine and ruined them. She took strong cleaner to the wood cabinet doors and stripped the finish and varnish off........she got alot done in one visit...there wasn't a second visit ! Maybe these are the times you might want to "look a gift horse in the mouth" before you hire someone. Check references!!!!

Feathers

Feathers, yeah, I understand the need to clean before someone comes over to clean. :lol: I'm afraid I would probably be guilty of that, though as I get older and older I find myself mellowing quite a bit.

Your poor DH. His maid sounds quite industrious, too bad she was so hard on things.
~Tiffany

Know what you mean, Tiffany. My hubby isn't trained very well either. And I TOO spread stuff everywhere I work! :oops: But as long as he doesn't care or help I don't worry too much unless someone is coming to my house. We always tell everyone to call the night before so we can be sure we are home but it also gives me time to at least find chairs for everyone to sit down and straighten up somewhat. :lol: All my kids are in Florida, we live in Maryland, and hubby's kids don't bother. Shame, but that's how it is. Hubby is retired, for the second time, 8) and we spend quite a bit of time outside with the barn work. Seems we are always getting hay, feed, groceries, or just procrastinating cause it's too cold or to hot! :lol: But we live a quiet pretty good life and that is what counts the most. Besides if we have to put everything away each time we stop and get it all out each time we start we wouldn't have ANY time to quilt, craft, or whatever we want to get into at the time would we? "An uncluttered house is the sign of a boring home" I read somewhere. Well life sure isn't boring around here!! :lol:

Your house sounds like the perfect house to visit and feel comfortable at Lois. Right now I'm waiting for my DH to age and mellow a bit. His idea of the perfect home is a Better Homes and Garden type setting. I grew up military, which meant living in a lot of military housing, I lived on a farm and ranch for several years and had the distinct pleasure of owning my own small (emphasize small) ranch of my own where I raised all my own meat & grew the majority of the produce my family ate. Sorry to any vegetarians or those who are sensitive about such things. I'm allergic to so much it was more a matter of necessity than anything else, though I do confess I enjoyed it quite a lot. As you can guess, my idea of a perfect home is less the BH&G style and includes a bit more homey, lived-in look. My quilt room definitely qualifies! :lol:
~Tiffany

My ex was ultra BH&G and you would never know that I was like that also at one time! However after many years and then he-- raising I got if even a little piece of paper was in the wrong place I finally cracked! It is different if you have some help but with three young sons, who didn't really care, and an outside job and NO help at ALL from the other half it sure gets old after a while. So I finally said "bye bye" and he went his own way. :lol: My "now" hubby is a real teddy bear. He doesn't mind as long as the "trees" in the fridge don't grow over into the stove and, though he doesn't really help, he doesn't complain. He even encourages me to do my own thing. So I guess there are some really good ones out there. :lol: We have a small horse farm with 9 ponies and horses (all ours and spoiled), lots of chickens, ducks, and geese, barn cats galore. Not to mention the spoiled like onlys 2 house cats, two parrots, and "road kill" turtle and fish. We don't eat our chickens as they are all "pets" but we do LOVE our own eggs! Cost more to feed the animals then pay our own expenses but that is our thing since the kids are so far away. As long as you have a loving spouse that is all that really counts.

My husband had high expectaions as well to start with and he soon learned that if he wanted it like that he better get to work. He does his fair share now. Sometimes even some of my share if I am up to my eyeballs in sewing and quilting. I rarely cook, usually only when he is gone. He even helps in the sewing room. He even does some of my pressing while I am quilting. I never lived in a spotless house. It was clean underneith but was always cluttered with life.

I love this!!! What a great sentiment. :D

Lois - I'm glad you have someone who loves and respects you now. That is soooo important!!
~Tiffany

It is so nice to know that others have my opinion of what's important in life. I think I'm happy hubby doesn't "help" with my projects. I think I'm also happy that he doesn't help TOO much with the housework! I wouldn't be able to find anything! :lol: I have to be afraid at times to look for something cause he feels it necessary to help find it and makes MORE mess by rooting through stuff where I know it isn't! :lol: I'm just glad he is here to said what a "wonderful" job I do on my quilting and crafts. That's all I need sometimes is that pat on the back and to feel appreciated. :D And I agree with you guys. If it is clean underneath the top stuff can always be shoved in a back room when company is coming! (as long as they aren't staying overnight. Then I have to find the spare room bed and stuff the stuff in THERE somewhere else! :oops:

i am trying to deal with this pfaff thing also. are you stretching only the top? i have not decided if that works for me. i am used to stretching all three layers on my Quilt Easy. i am not doing so good with this!
Jeanne

I stretch the top and bottom. They say not to do the batting. I have actually done one or two with no middle and backed it with polar fleece. It works well and makes a pretty warm blanket. And it washes well, at least the fleece I uses. My favorite is 10 oz alpine fleece. I get it from a wholesaler in Edmonton. It is a learning process. Luckily I learn fast. So far I think I have done 6 quilts on the table. I have to fix my poles as they keep loosening on me. I like the phaff machine though. It is fast. Needs a lot of oil though. It keeps sucking it up. Though with what I put it threw I guess it deserves it. I have more pictures to post when I find the camera. I think one of the kids had it in the house.

thanks much for the idea. i'll try the fleece.
Jeanne

Just don't put too much pressure on the fleece. Because the fleece has a bit of give. Snug, but not to tight.