How creative are you?

I always wonder how creative am I? Most of the things I make, I make from a pattern or tutorial. I make it mine by using fabrics that I like and by making changes that better fit my need! But in the end it is still someone else’s brain child and not mine!

So how creative am I truly? I decided to test myself by doing something that I normally don’t do like drawing. I can’t draw a horse or even a tree! So I will take it down a notch and start doodling instead!

I really don’t have time for something new but I figure if I keep a pad of paper and a pencil by the phone I might get some creative juices flowing while talking on the phone???

Here is my first page:

I realize that nothing is more terrifying than a blank piece of paper. No limitations and no rules or guidance. Scary!!!

For my second paper I just took a couple of elements from my first page and came up with this:

I actually like this!

Take care,

Me

P.S. The factory repair shop contacted me today... I am supposed to get my machine by the end of next week!!! Yeah!

Finished Swoon

I don't think I ever showed you how my finished Swoon quilt looks like. So here it is:

Ich denke nicht das ich euch jemals meinen fertigen Swoon Quilt gezeigt habe. Hier ist sie:

It's Queen sized - 80" square. The fabrics are from Tanya Whelan's Delilah line. I was able to purchase a 15 piece FQ pack from Hancock's of Paducah for $20. What a steal!!! The solid is a Kona Solid "Bone" from Kaufmann.

Sie ist Queen sized - 203cm! Die Stoffe sind aus Tanya Whelan's Delilah Kollektion. Ich konnte mir ein 15 Pack FQ von Hancock's of Paducah fuer $20 bestellen! Irre billig!!! Der "weisse" Stoff ist Kona Solid "Bone" von Kaufmann.

I am absolutely in love with it. It resides on our bed and makes me smile every night when I go to bed!

Ich bin so verliebt in dieses Quilt. Es liege auf unserem Bett und zaubert ein Laecheln auf mein Gesicht wenn ich ins Bett gehe!

Update on my sewing machine: I still haven't gotten my machine back yet. It's been so long and I really miss it! The factory repair shop is having problems. After they fixed the motor and ran it through its paces they noticed that the computer is also having some kind of glitch. I am really worried that the bill is going to be more than what the machine is worth! I was told that they are considering a possible discount on the bill because I should have had those problems. So I will wait and see what I'll owe!

Neues von meiner Nähmaschine: Ich habe sie immer noch nicht zurück. Es ist jetzt schon so lange her das ich sie zur Reparatur abgegeben habe und ich vermiss sie wirklich! Die Pfaff Fabrik  hatte Probleme bei der Reparatur. Nachdem der Motor endlich repariert war und sie probegenaeht hatten, stellten sie fest das der Computer auch nicht richtig die Programme einstellt. Jetzt mach ich mir echt Sorgen das die Reparatur mehr kosten wird als die Maschine wert ist! Mir wurde gesagt das sie gerade diskutieren ob sie mir einen "Rabatt" geben da die Maschine noch nicht so alt ist und schon solche Probleme hat. Naja, jetzt heisst's erstmal abwarten und Tee trinken.

Tell me what you are up to!

Sag mir was du so machst!

Take care,

Me

I am bad...!

Yes... I am real bad! Miss Sarah had her b-day a bit over a week ago and I still haven't mailed her package. It is all wrapped and ready to go! Here is proof:

But it seems that even all wrapped up, in a box, labeled and just needing to be dropped off at the post office is not enough! The funny thing is that I had her presents bought in May already. It took me a couple of weeks to wrap them, and then it took me another couple of weeks to get a mailbox, and then another couple of weeks to put it in my car to take it to the post office. I stop by the post office almost every day to pick up my mail... I have nothing that I can say in my defense of this! 

But now that it is in the mail I can breath easier. Except I still need to mail their Al-Eid presents. And to be honest I only have the ones for four of them and not for all five! I suck... I know! Hopefully I will mail it before Christmas :-)

Take care, 

Me

Temporarily Out of Action

I am not a happy camper! On Sunday I was putting on the  finishing quilting touches on a sweet lap-sized quilt. I was switching back and forth between several stitches on my sewing machine. My sewing machine machine made all the appropriate noises and then nothing. The needle stayed in one position and wouldn't adjust no matter which stitch I chose on the menu. Everything came to a screeching halt!

I packed it up and decided to take it to Mittenwald to my trusted service center the next day for a thorough cleaning and a check up. It was overdue anyway for a cleaning!

I dropped it off with Mr. Kittelmann. He was nice enough to take a quick look at it right there to let me know what it could be. My heart sank a bit more with each word... It's going to be really expensive to fix. It could be the "motherboard" or some kind of motor... I forgot the appropriate terms. Either way it will be between Euro 300 - 500. If he can't fix it in his shop it might have to get send in to the Pfaff factory service center. He gave me a time frame of 4-6 weeks at a minimum if that should be the case!

Oh my gosh. What am I going to do? I sew every day. I HAVE to sew every day! I never realized how much time I spend planning, cutting and sewing... What should I do now? Clean the house? Spend time with my family? Finish other non-sewing projects? Shoot, it's only been 48 hours and I already have withdrawal symptoms. I have been petting my fabric, looking through books and even dreaming about sewing... Somebody help me!

I cleaned off the dining room table last night. Martin saw that and joked that I shouldn't do that since Pasha and he might get used to sitting there to take their meals! Yes, he is still alive! Barely but he is!

Are you sewing right now? Or are you dreaming up your next project?

Take care,

Me

Guess what's finished?!

Yup, I did it! I hunkered down over several days and quilted it! And I hand-sewed the binding on while we watched "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" :-)

Would you like to see it?

Of course I can't show you the entire quilt! It would spoil the surprise now wouldn't it! :-)

Now I just hope I will be able to mail it tomorrow. As you know my track record isn't too good with that! But I will try my best!

Take care,

Me

Quirkle Tournament

Have you heard of 'Quirkle'? Its a fabulous game that is so easy to play. You take it out of the box and get started playing right away. Quirkle is similar to Dominos. You play by color or by shape. It is one of our favorite family games!

Hast du schon von 'Quirkle' gehört? Es ein super Spiel das so einfach zu spielen ist. Du nimmst es aus der Box und kannst gleich mit dem Spielen anfangen. Quirkle ist so ähnlich wie Dominos. Du kannst es bei Farbe oder per Formen spielen. Es ist eines unser Lieblingsfamilienspiele!

Since we don't watch TV anymore throughout the week we started to play our games a lot more. We decided to make things a bit more interesting by starting a Quirkle tournament. The rules are simple:

the person with the most Quirkles during a game gets 1 point and the winner gets 1 point. The prize: a dinner and a movie of his/her choice. The deadline is the last Saturday before school starts. 

Da wir unter der Woche keinen Fernseher mehr schauen spielen wir viel mehr. Wir entschlossen uns es etwas interessanter zu machen und haben ein Quirkle Tuner "gegründet". Die Spielregeln sind einfach: die Person mit den meisten Quirkles während eines Spiels bekommt 1 Punkt und der Gewinner bekommt einen Punkt. Der Preis: ein Abendessen und einen Film seiner/ihrer Wahl. Das Ende ist der letzte Samstag bevor die Schule anfängt.

If there is a tie for the most Quirkles in a game we play "Rock, Paper, Scissors" to end it. 

Falls es ein Unentschieden gibt wird "Stein, Schere, Papier" gespielt.

Martin one this one!

Martin hat dieses Mal gewonnen!

Jake wants to be with us of course. So he always lies down next to one of us!

Jake moechte natuerlich mit von der Partie sein und legt sich immer neben jemanden von uns hin!

So far it stands at: / Spielstand:

Karin - 3

Pasha - 2

Martin - 3

Do you play Quirkle?

Spielst du Quirkle?

Take care,

Me

One for the Memories

If you spent just a few minutes in my company than you know that my cell phone is never far from me due to work. It's a cursed relationship :-)

Wenn du auch nur ein paar Minuten Zeit mit mir verbringst dann weisst du das mein Arbeitshandy nie weit weg von mir ist!

Anyway, my cell phone was ringing tonight and I automatically thought: "Who's calling? Did I forget to schedule someone's airport pick up?" I picked up and I heard this weird voice: "Hello, I am holding your chocolates hostage!" I knew immediately who the caller was! Pasha was sitting in her room playing with her pumpkin voice changer!

Mein Handy klingelte heute Abend und ich dachte automatisch: "Wer ruft mich denn an? Habe ich jemanden am Flughafen vergessen?" Ich habe den Anruf angenommen und hörte diese komische verzerrte Stimme: "Hallo, ich habe ihre Schokolade als Geisel genommen!" Ich wusste sofort wer angerufen hat! Pasha sass in ihrem Zimmer und spielte mit ihrem Kürbismikrofon!

I told her to stop it and left the room! I saw her leave her room a couple minutes later with her pumpkin and her cell phone in hand walking toward the patio! I knew she was up to no good! So I followed her and took a couple shots of her. 

Ich habe ihr gesagt das sie damit aufhören sollte und ging aus ihrem Zimmer. Ein paar Minuten später sah ich wie sie aus ihrem Zimmer mit ihrem Kürbismikrofon und ihrem Handy! Ich wusste das da nix Gutes raus kommen wird! Ich bin ihr gefolgt und habe in paar Bilder gemacht.

Next thing I hear is Martin's work cell phone ringing in the kitchen. He muttered: "Who the h... is calling me!?" Pasha through her pumpkin voice changer: "If you are not nice to your daughter I will have to kidnap your chocolates, your pooch, and your TV." Martin laughed and said: "If you know how important these things are too me than this must be an inside job!" Martin and I are still laughing about her!

Als naechstes hoere ich wie Martin's Arbeitshandy in der Kueche klingelt. Er sagte: "Wer ruft mich denn jetzt an!?" Pasha durch ihr Kürbismikrofon: "Wenn du nicht nett zu deiner Tochter bist dann werde ich deine Schokolade, deinen Hund und dein Fernseher entführen." Martin lachte und sagt: "Da du weisst wie wichtig diese Dinge sind für mich lässt es mich vermuten das dies ein Insider Job ist!" Martin und ich lachen immer noch!

I love my two nuttys!!!

Ich liebe meine zwei Verrückten!!!

Take care,

Me