Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!!

From our family to yours, Merry Christmas and 

Happy New Year!

I Won!!!

I am so excited!! I was notified by Sandy at http://upstairshobbyroom.blogspot.ca/ that I had won a mystery gift during the Holiday Hullabaloo Blog Hop from Jacquelynne Steves at JacquelynneSteves.com. She shares recipes, Crafts and DIY, Quilting and Sewing and other inspirational ideas and projects. I did not know what I would receive, but I got the package today. Here are the photos are what I was so blessed to get.

I love it and want to make the quilts as soon as I can. The cards are so pretty, too. They came in a nice plastic case. I feel so blessed to have won this. I appreciate Sandy and Jacquelynne for the opportunity to participate in the blog hop and receive such a nice gift. 

Hope all is well with everyone. Christmas will be here soon, and I am so far behind with the quilts I'm making for gifts. They will get done sometime soon, I hope.

Have a great evening.
Teresa

Bama Belles: My Quilting Group

Good morning! I pray all is well at your home. We are doing well, but it is chilly here in Alabama. We got up to 25 degrees and frost all over the place. Of course, I know that isn't as cold as some of my followers have, but it is cold for us southerners. LOL 

I attended the luncheon for my quilting group yesterday, and we are called Bama Belles. We ate at Olive Garden, but there were a couple of problems with that. One, I ate too much of the wrong things; two, we couldn't talk to everyone. We were sitting at a few tables put together and that made it where we couldn't talk to each other. Also, the noise was awful and that caused another reason we couldn't talk. But, the ladies who planned this didn't want a potluck and wanted to go to Olive Garden. It just isn't conducive to good visiting with each other situation. But, we all had a great time. We had a great turnout. A few weren't there, but I enjoyed myself spending time with my sister. I love being around those ladies. I learn so much from each of them. We enjoy talking over projects we want to do, working on quilts to donate to Wrap Them in Love. Several of them are going to my fellow blogger, Gene Black, for his Angel Project for the teen home in Guntersville, AL. I was able to donate one last year, but I've been working on commission projects all year and now trying to get Christmas gifts finished, so I wasn't able to participate this year. I know Bama Belles has already donated seven, and I think we will have several more to give him according to the leader, Linda Jimerson who is another fellow blogger.

A few of us left Olive Garden and went to the church. I had asked if we were going over to the church afterwards. Linda said a few of them probably were, so I asked for assistance pinning our daughter and her husband's quilt that I had planned to have done by Christmas, but that isn't going to happen. So, thankfully a few of us went over there and while Linda was taking pictures of some quilts, Lois, Rosa and I pinned this monster of a queen sized Carpenter's Star quilt. It would have taken me hours to pin this myself. I am forever grateful to those who assisted me with this. Linda helped as soon as she finished snapping pictures. She also trimmed the batting and backing off for me while it was on the table. I owe them big!!! Now to figure out how to repay them...... Any suggestions?

Here are a few of the quilts that Lois made to donate:

Aren't they beautiful? This lady can put out some quilts. I love them both.

I think that is all I have to say today. Hope you all have a blessed day. What are you working on this week?

Teresa

Sixteen Days and Counting

Dear followers,

I want to tell you that Christmas is getting here too fast!!! At least it is for me. LOL I guess you know that, though, don't you? Oh well, maybe there is someone out there who doesn't realize how close Dec. 25, 2013 is. I am not finished or really even close to finished with my gifts for our children for Christmas. I had also planned to give a few homemade items to my extended family, too, but that won't be happening this time. :( 

As you know, I was without my good sewing machine for two months. Then I was so blessed by the Janome company and sent a brand new machine. I almost have my grandson's quilt quilted, and praying I can do that today, then make and add the binding. I still have the pinning and quilting to do on a queen sized quilt and making, pinning and quilting of a king sized quilt. I doubt I will get them done by Christmas. One reason, I only have my domestic sewing machine to quilt on. The other reason, is I don't do a very good job quilting. I am trying to learn to do some free motion quilting and I'm getting some practice on my grandson's quilt. I am not happy with what I've done, but hopefully he won't look at it too closely. He is seven years old. I'm hoping he will be so excited for what I made it of and that it is for his bed, then how Mimi's quilting looks. Then there is a Carpenter's Star by Debbie Maddy that will be pinned with help from my awesome Bama Belles quilting group after our Christmas luncheon. I'm still trying to decide the best way to quilt it. Then, I'm making a Night and Day quilt by Eleanor Burns and will need to pin and quilt it. That one scares me the most. 

I do want to tell you that I'm loving my new machine! I does a beautiful job and runs so quietly! I am so excited that God blessed me so much through Janome. Yes, I believe God blessed me. He knew that I would not be able to afford another machine like that. He knew that I had purchased it using money from my Daddy and Step-Mom's house sale. They passed in 2008 and 2010 respectively. So, it means a lot to me just because of that. This machine has 250 stitches, an 11" harp area, thread cutter, up and down button for the needle, a knee lift for the presser foot, and the Accufeed walking foot system. It is soooo different than my Walmart Brother which is a good machine, too. It only has a 5" harp, so it makes if very difficult to quilt on it.

I am excited about a new adventure that I will do my best to undertake in the new year. A fellow blogger friend Caroline Heinrichs from British Columbia and can be found at http://goodearthquilting.blogspot.com/ is having a crazy quilt quilt along starting in January. I want to learn more about crazy quilting even though I have made two pillows using the crazy quilt method. So, I told her I would give it a try and participate. Keep your fingers crossed that I learn what I can and that I can keep up with her. Check out her blog.
She is also on Google+. 

I didn't share any pictures last time of my machine. Isn't she beautiful? The extension table doesn't come with her. It was from my Horizon, and I was told I could keep it. 

I pray you have a blessed day. Keep me in your prayers that I can get as much finished as I possibly can. Hugs to you all!!!

Teresa

Sewing Machine Update and Thanksgiving

Hello everyone!! I know, I am behind on my blogging, but it has been busy, busy, busy around here. I guess I need to catch up. LOL

First of all, last week was awesome! Our daughter, SIL, and DGS came for a visit. They arrived Tuesday and left Saturday. We had such an enjoyable time. Even though our daughter has been having back issues for several weeks, she made the trip without any major issues. She kept ice on her back a few times a day trying to keep inflammation down. We had fun playing with Jackson. He has grown so much just since August. He and I spent the day Friday outside roaming around, playing with the dogs, and then spent time looking through my totes of Christmas decorations. They took our 7.5' tree home with them and I sent them some ornaments and table runners home, too. Cleaning out some of my "stash" of Christmas stuff was needed and is still needed. LOL We also had twelve people in attendance on Thanksgiving for dinner. They were all family and we had a great time even though I was exhausted from being on my feet all day cooking.Great food, great company, fun times. Our son and his wife came and one of my husband's brothers and his family came, too. Our Marine nephew and his beautiful wife were here, too. It was so good to get my hug. He has been deployed for eight months, so it was awesome to see him.

 I found out that I can not eat wheat or corn based products for sure last week. My tummy is still not happy with me. I have been grain free since August, so my system was not accustomed to being overwhelmed with dressing, potatoes, etc. I learned my lesson. :D Back on Wheat Belly way of eating for me!

Now to the sewing machine dilemma I have been going through. As I blogged earlier, my Janome Horizon Memory Craft 7700 QCP started having stitching issues in October. I took it into the dealer where their repairman could clean it, service it, and fix it. Well, the mother board went out, etc. etc. You can read about it here. Well, long story short, I now have a new  Janome 7700 New Home edition of my sewing machine. After I had blogged and posted on Facebook about my issues, I was told to contact the Director of Marketing and Education and was given her email address. I did this and she responded that after reading my blog and my FB posts/comments that it was best to send me a new Horizon 7700. Well, when I received it last Wednesday, I did not open it since we had company and Thanksgiving, and so on. I opened it on Saturday and when it was not red, I emailed her back. That is the one thing I loved about my Horizon was the red panel on it. Red is my favorite color. When the Director got back to me, she explained that the machine was the updated version of my machine and it was named New Home after their company's initial name. She told me I could keep the extension table that came with my Horizon and I'm keeping the cover that came with it, too. So, I am a happy, happy, happy person right now. I got it set up yesterday, but have not even threaded it, yet. I will do that today. We returned the loaner machine today. We had gone to the dealer three times to pick up my machine and it wasn't ready, so one of the owners met us at Sam's where we had to run an errand to today and picked up the machine and its parts, plus the feet, cord, foot pedal, etc. for my Horizon. She did not know about me getting the new machine. She was excited about it. If any of my followers live close enough to go to Smocking Bird in Homewood, Alabama, please tell them I sent you. They sell beautiful fabric for children's clothes, teach smocking, heirloom stitching, etc. They also have thread, and sell Janome sewing machines and embroidery machines. They have been a great help in this dilemma and did all they could do to get my Horizon repaired. Actually, they shipped it to the company the Friday before Thanksgiving.

So, I am happy with Janome and the service I have been given. They turned a bad situation into an awesome one. I appreciate all their help and the Director of Marketing and Education's assistance in obtaining a new machine for me. Thank you all!!

Now, I need to get busy sewing and quilting to get these quilts for Christmas gifts finished and to the new owners. Say a prayer for me that I can get them done and they will look good.

Thank you all,
Teresa

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Good morning! I have been so busy the past few days getting the house ready for our guests that I haven't taken the time to post anything. Hubby and I are waiting for our daughter and her family to arrive from Florida some time today. Sadly, they are having to drive in this awful rain we are getting today. I am praying and I'm asking for prayers for their safety as they travel. We will have a glorious house full on Thanksgiving day. My husband's side of the family are coming for dinner. Our children and their spouses and our grandson will be here. Now, we don't have a big house, but we can fit them all in. It may be crowded, but it will be a nice crowded since we are usually here alone 99.9% of the time. Us and the dogs. LOL It will be wild and crazy and enjoyable while it lasts.

We haven't gotten to spend as much time with our daughter, SIL, and grandson this year as we have in the past, so we are really looking forward to the time together even though it will be short. Our grandson is seven and in the 2nd grade. He is attending a Christian school this year after being home-schooled for two years. He loves it, but part of him wants to home-school next year. He misses the time he spent with his mama. She also works for the children's department at the church. That is where they attend. Our daughter told me his reading has really improved and he is actually reading a chapter book on his own while they travel. I am so proud of him. He has always loved to be read to or to listen to audio books, but it has been a struggle to get HIM to read himself. I am so glad and thankful that he is developing a love for reading like his mother and I have.

We will give our kids and Jackson their Christmas gifts on Thursday, but not the quilts I'm making them. I haven't been able to get them finished by now, so they will get them for Christmas. With the issues that I've had with my machine, I've had problems sewing like I needed to.

So, I want to wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving and have a great week! Be blessed.

Hugs,
Teresa

Still No Machine!!!!

Have you ever been frustrated and don't know what to do? Well, I am that and more. My Janome MC Horizon 7700 QCP has been in the shop for six weeks now. I have never had any problems with it until Oct. 15th. I had just finished a baby quilt, that I showed on here, and then repaired the string on two pair of my husband's shorts. I started sewing something right after the repair, and the stitches were skipping. I had never had a problem before, so I tried everything I knew to do and what the manual said and my friends on Facebook told me to try. NOTHING CHANGED!!! So, I called my dealer and told one of the owners what was going on, and she told me to bring it in by the next morning and I would be one of two that the repairman would work on that Thursday. I took it in on Wednesday morning never dreaming they would have it six weeks later! I was not offered a loaner machine until four weeks down the road after it seemed that Janome would not get the needed part sent to them any time soon. Even repairman told me on Monday that he never dreamed it would take this long to get my machine back to me.

While he was trying to find what the problem was (after cleaning and servicing it), the mother board went out. They ordered the part and waited ten days to get the part. When he put that in, he discovered that a required part to make it work was not included in the delivery. Ugh!!! So, we waited over three weeks for that power source part to come in. During this time Janome employees were allegedly having workshops/training, etc., and were not getting anything done in a speedy manner. I understand the need for training, but I also am a firm believer in great customer service. With my blog and all my sewing/quilting FB friends, I can influence a lot of possible customers. I love my machine, but not this type of customer service. I told the owners of where I purchased my machine that I have three quilts that I needed to finish for Christmas gifts when I dropped my machine off. I have called them several times each week for any news. I know they are probably tired of hearing from me. LOL

On Monday, I called, but the owner was teaching a class, so I left a message asking about the part and my machine. The repairman called me to tell me the part had come in and the machine was fixed, he believed, but he wanted the owner to do more stitches on it to make sure. Well, when I didn't get a call from them telling me different, DH and I went to the dealer about sixty miles one way from me, to pick up my machine and take the loaner machine back. We walked in and brought the machine in and was met by the lady who had gotten me the loaner and told me it was not fixed that they were waiting on Janome to call them back from the day before. I spoke to the owner and she told me when she tried other stitches, that the it was still not sewing right, so they may have to send the machine to the company. I am to the point that they just need to get me a different machine. I have been told that this was a problem with these machines and the company received enough complaints that they rebuilt the mother board to "fix" the problem. Well, obviously this didn't "fix" my machine.

Oh well, enough on my frustration. I doubt I will get my quilts finished in time, but I will work hard between now and Christmas. I actually need two of them done by Thanksgiving, but they many not be quite finished and will have to ship them. Oh the joys of quilting and using my talent and love for the process to make Christmas gifts. I had plans to make some mug rugs and various small projects, too, but I doubt that will happen. Unless God gives me the strength to hold up to sew much longer than I usually can at a time, I will not be able to get all I planned done. :( Not a happy camper.

I made the backing for the Avengers quilt Monday and have it and the top ready to pin. I will be sewing together the backing for the other top I have finished today and have it ready to pin, then the quilting can begin. I am not a great quilter and don't fmq much. I really need to practice. I would love to take a craftsy class on this, but I doubt my Internet connection can withstand it. I will post pics of the quilts when they are finished.

What do you use to mark quilting patterns on your quilt tops?

Hugs to all,
Teresa