I attended the NQA Show in Columbus, Ohio on Thursday. It was a great show this year with lots of Wow Quilts and some that just stole my heart with their whimsy and beauty. But as I went through the show, I realized that some of the amazing quilting was done by computerized machines--everything from the center embroidery pieces to the actual quilting itself. It takes a skill set to be able to manipulate computerized machines and have the quilting and designs come together appropriately to make a great quilt -- it also may take a machine which costs anywhere from $2000 for a good embroidery machine to $30,000 for a computerized quilting machine. That certainly limits the number of people who can compete at that level.
Now I am not a techno phobe; but I do think machine quilting has advanced to the point that there need to be categories: Computerized Quilting, Longarm Quilting, Short Arm Quilting, and Home Machine Quilting. Also if a Master Quilt is a totally computerized design, who is the Master, the human being or the computer?
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
A Baseball First
Kai plays baseball on a farm team which means the players are 9 and 10 years old. As a 10 year old, he's had a good year and seems to be really enjoying the season. I am a great fan and go to as many games as I can. This week's game was unique.
Kai got a decent hit and headed for first base. He made it and settled in to steal the rest of his way home which is often what they do. The next youngster up also had a hit and Kai headed for second. As he rounded it, his coach waved him on and he ran for third. The third baseman planted himself on the base line in Kai's way, and Kai tried to barrel his way through. Both of them went down, and there was no ball in sight. Kai's coach is yelling at him to get up and go for third base but Kai can't. In his excitement and I'm sure desire to please his coach who is also yelling, the other player has grabbed hold of Kai's legs and won't let go. I think he was hoping he could get the ball from somewhere before Kai could make it to the base. Kai starts crawling toward third base, dragging the other boy with him briefly. Finally the other player lets go, and Kai climbs up on third base. By this time, Kai is a bit emotional himself and having some trouble breathing. The umpire declares that Kai gets home since it was interference, and he comes in with a run and having an asthma attack. His dad always carries his inhaler and he's soon back to par but has a burn on his arm and elbow from trying to crawl to third base.
What excitement! The other coach protests the call, of course, and yet after it was all over, Kai's run stands. I think the adrenalin level remained high for the rest of the game as eventually Kai's coach was thrown out of the game for yelling at one of the umps for not making calls. He was probably right but you're not supposed to yell at the teenage umps. Kai's team eventually did win the game.
Kai has three games this week and I am hoping they'll all be a bit calmer.
Kai got a decent hit and headed for first base. He made it and settled in to steal the rest of his way home which is often what they do. The next youngster up also had a hit and Kai headed for second. As he rounded it, his coach waved him on and he ran for third. The third baseman planted himself on the base line in Kai's way, and Kai tried to barrel his way through. Both of them went down, and there was no ball in sight. Kai's coach is yelling at him to get up and go for third base but Kai can't. In his excitement and I'm sure desire to please his coach who is also yelling, the other player has grabbed hold of Kai's legs and won't let go. I think he was hoping he could get the ball from somewhere before Kai could make it to the base. Kai starts crawling toward third base, dragging the other boy with him briefly. Finally the other player lets go, and Kai climbs up on third base. By this time, Kai is a bit emotional himself and having some trouble breathing. The umpire declares that Kai gets home since it was interference, and he comes in with a run and having an asthma attack. His dad always carries his inhaler and he's soon back to par but has a burn on his arm and elbow from trying to crawl to third base.
What excitement! The other coach protests the call, of course, and yet after it was all over, Kai's run stands. I think the adrenalin level remained high for the rest of the game as eventually Kai's coach was thrown out of the game for yelling at one of the umps for not making calls. He was probably right but you're not supposed to yell at the teenage umps. Kai's team eventually did win the game.
Kai has three games this week and I am hoping they'll all be a bit calmer.
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Storm at the Recital
I can't believe how long it's been since I blogged.
The most recent excitement was 5 year old Quinn's recital. She did ballet and tap and was adorable, of course. But usually a recital doesn't get cancelled for stormy weather. The entire family had made a real effort to attend Quinn's first recital. Even Lisa and her 2 month old son Jack had made it through a real cloudburst to arrive on time. Joe was whining about the storm, but we all felt perfectly safe in the large auditorium. Jack was a real trooper, taking a bottle, and then allowing himself to be passed down the line of family for a cuddle from everyone.
A fourth of the way through the event, a storm rolled through Newark and knocked out the power for the OSU-COTC area which is where the Reese Hall is. So emergency lights fortunately, but no way to continue the recital. After sitting patiently in the gloom, it was announced that the recital would continue in the morning, asking that the chidren be there by 8:30 am and the dancing would recommence at 9:00 am.
The next morning promised more storms but most people gamely made their way back to the Reese Hall. (No Joe as he has a real thing about storms and had decided not to even try.) As I walked in, it was clear that some of the momentum of the event had been lost. No one had a clue as to where their ticket stubs were --fortunately, Avante had decided not to ask for them. All around me I heard whining children and parents who had left things at home or lost them somewhere in the car. The performances were great; it was the audience who never quite got into the show again. I did try to video Quinn's dances but I am still not very good at it. I am hoping her Daddy got better pictures than I did.
I have often had baseball games postponed for bad weather, but Quinn's Recital was a real first!
The most recent excitement was 5 year old Quinn's recital. She did ballet and tap and was adorable, of course. But usually a recital doesn't get cancelled for stormy weather. The entire family had made a real effort to attend Quinn's first recital. Even Lisa and her 2 month old son Jack had made it through a real cloudburst to arrive on time. Joe was whining about the storm, but we all felt perfectly safe in the large auditorium. Jack was a real trooper, taking a bottle, and then allowing himself to be passed down the line of family for a cuddle from everyone.
A fourth of the way through the event, a storm rolled through Newark and knocked out the power for the OSU-COTC area which is where the Reese Hall is. So emergency lights fortunately, but no way to continue the recital. After sitting patiently in the gloom, it was announced that the recital would continue in the morning, asking that the chidren be there by 8:30 am and the dancing would recommence at 9:00 am.
The next morning promised more storms but most people gamely made their way back to the Reese Hall. (No Joe as he has a real thing about storms and had decided not to even try.) As I walked in, it was clear that some of the momentum of the event had been lost. No one had a clue as to where their ticket stubs were --fortunately, Avante had decided not to ask for them. All around me I heard whining children and parents who had left things at home or lost them somewhere in the car. The performances were great; it was the audience who never quite got into the show again. I did try to video Quinn's dances but I am still not very good at it. I am hoping her Daddy got better pictures than I did.
I have often had baseball games postponed for bad weather, but Quinn's Recital was a real first!
Friday, May 21, 2010
Chauffeur Blues
I am currently finding that I spend a great deal of time in my van. I drive Kai to meet his Dad to be taken to baseball practice. I pick up Quinn and take her to dance class. I drive an hour to Dublin to spend the day with Jack, and then an hour back. I love doing all these things but not the driving part so much. I think I am an adequate driver, but there are some crazy people out there on the roads.
The trip to Dublin to see baby Jack requires about 10 miles of Route 270 circling Columbus. I hate it. Maybe it's my age but no one lets you merge and everyone tail gates and then since I don't tail gate, cars are always cutting in front of mine. The other 30 miles of travel are on Rte. 161 which is lovely for the most part, except that one section where the speed limit is 45 mph due to construction. I don't mind going 45, but evidently I am the only one and I always have that one car behind me that would like to go faster and keeps edging up my rear. I will be glad when the construction is done this summer for no other reason than that.
Driving around Licking County for Kai and Quinn is not a problem except for those idiots I mentioned. I often think my car is invisible and that's maybe why other cars are always turning in front of me. They just don't see me.
Then too, I always feel that driving with my grandchildren in my car is a great responsibility -- I try to be more careful and aware than usual. So that is probably why I am so annoyed with others who don't seem to care that I carry precious cargo or even that they also have children in their cars. I am done ranting now!
The trip to Dublin to see baby Jack requires about 10 miles of Route 270 circling Columbus. I hate it. Maybe it's my age but no one lets you merge and everyone tail gates and then since I don't tail gate, cars are always cutting in front of mine. The other 30 miles of travel are on Rte. 161 which is lovely for the most part, except that one section where the speed limit is 45 mph due to construction. I don't mind going 45, but evidently I am the only one and I always have that one car behind me that would like to go faster and keeps edging up my rear. I will be glad when the construction is done this summer for no other reason than that.
Driving around Licking County for Kai and Quinn is not a problem except for those idiots I mentioned. I often think my car is invisible and that's maybe why other cars are always turning in front of me. They just don't see me.
Then too, I always feel that driving with my grandchildren in my car is a great responsibility -- I try to be more careful and aware than usual. So that is probably why I am so annoyed with others who don't seem to care that I carry precious cargo or even that they also have children in their cars. I am done ranting now!
Friday, May 14, 2010
Being a Bobcat in Buckeye Land II
I have solved the problem of the Bobcat quilt; at least in my mind. Of course, it requires completely redesigning the blocks and the layout and the way the colors are used. That's ok really, because I like doing all that. It's just finding time!
May is always really busy and always hard for me as I like to keep my job part-time --May requires full time attention and I get bored with just doing other people's quilts and I get behind and then I have to work a few evenings and weekends and it's no one's fault but my own. So this blog will be short because I should be quilting!
May is always really busy and always hard for me as I like to keep my job part-time --May requires full time attention and I get bored with just doing other people's quilts and I get behind and then I have to work a few evenings and weekends and it's no one's fault but my own. So this blog will be short because I should be quilting!
Friday, April 30, 2010
Life with Joe
It's time for a Joe story. Every now and then he does something so, so, so whatever that it has to be written about.
When I got home from the shop on Wednesday, I knew I had a lot to do and places to go. Things seemed fine until as I was cooking dinner, I could hear the sump pump -- running and running. I asked Joe if it had been running all day and he said, no he hadn't heard it.
I went down to check on it and knew I needed to put on my junky clothes to really make sure it was ok, but I didn't have time to do that. So I gave it a shake for a temporary fix (that actually works some times) and left for my two events.
First, I went to Weight Watchers where I had lost 3 pounds. Hurrah for me. Then I went to Kai's fourth grade choral concert. While waiting for it to start, I noticed that my son-in-law was on the phone. It was Joe -- asking Jason to come over after the concert to fix the sump pump--something was wrong with it and he had had to turn it off. Hmmm. That wasn't the case when I was at home. I told Jason not to come over but that I would take care of it when I got home. Kai's concert was great and they all looked so cute!
Ok, now I'm home, in my grungy clothes, and in the basement with the sump pump -- which is turned off because Joe has accidentally disconnected the pipe which carries the water from the pump to the outside. He went down after I left and broke the sump pump.
The pipes can be reconnected, but I will need a new clamp "thingy" to hold the two pipes together. The old one is so rusted I won't be able to turn the screw which tightens it. In fifteen minutes, I am on my way to Lowes (Still in my grungy clothes as Lowes expects you to look like that) with the old "thingy" in my pocket for comparison. I ask when I walk in the door and am told those thingies are in Aisles 14 or 15. I find a two pack of thingies and then go in search of a larger screw driver as my flat screw drivers are all too small to get any torque on them. Twelve dollars later, I am on my way home.
Back in the basement, I shove the two pipes together with a new clamp thingy around them. Joe is still insisting that I won't be able to fix it by myself. I place a paint roller pan under the elbow of the bottom pipe to support it while I tighten the clamp with the new screw driver. The two pipes are now connected, crooked, but stuck tight together. I adjust the setting of the sump pump (which was its original problem). I always get all wet when I do that which is why I needed the grungy clothes and didn't want to do it before I left the house earlier. The sump pump is turned back on! TaDah! It works.
Another Joe crisis over!
When I got home from the shop on Wednesday, I knew I had a lot to do and places to go. Things seemed fine until as I was cooking dinner, I could hear the sump pump -- running and running. I asked Joe if it had been running all day and he said, no he hadn't heard it.
I went down to check on it and knew I needed to put on my junky clothes to really make sure it was ok, but I didn't have time to do that. So I gave it a shake for a temporary fix (that actually works some times) and left for my two events.
First, I went to Weight Watchers where I had lost 3 pounds. Hurrah for me. Then I went to Kai's fourth grade choral concert. While waiting for it to start, I noticed that my son-in-law was on the phone. It was Joe -- asking Jason to come over after the concert to fix the sump pump--something was wrong with it and he had had to turn it off. Hmmm. That wasn't the case when I was at home. I told Jason not to come over but that I would take care of it when I got home. Kai's concert was great and they all looked so cute!
Ok, now I'm home, in my grungy clothes, and in the basement with the sump pump -- which is turned off because Joe has accidentally disconnected the pipe which carries the water from the pump to the outside. He went down after I left and broke the sump pump.
The pipes can be reconnected, but I will need a new clamp "thingy" to hold the two pipes together. The old one is so rusted I won't be able to turn the screw which tightens it. In fifteen minutes, I am on my way to Lowes (Still in my grungy clothes as Lowes expects you to look like that) with the old "thingy" in my pocket for comparison. I ask when I walk in the door and am told those thingies are in Aisles 14 or 15. I find a two pack of thingies and then go in search of a larger screw driver as my flat screw drivers are all too small to get any torque on them. Twelve dollars later, I am on my way home.
Back in the basement, I shove the two pipes together with a new clamp thingy around them. Joe is still insisting that I won't be able to fix it by myself. I place a paint roller pan under the elbow of the bottom pipe to support it while I tighten the clamp with the new screw driver. The two pipes are now connected, crooked, but stuck tight together. I adjust the setting of the sump pump (which was its original problem). I always get all wet when I do that which is why I needed the grungy clothes and didn't want to do it before I left the house earlier. The sump pump is turned back on! TaDah! It works.
Another Joe crisis over!
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Being a Bobcat in Buckeye Land
This year the Heart of Ohio Guild is doing a spirit quilt block of the month which can be made in any colors but the idea is to make a quilt that honors a school or team. Of course, living just outside of Columbus, the meetings are full of scarlet and gray blocks.
I am also making one of scarlet and gray (for son-in-law #1), but since my husband, both daughters, son-in-law #2, and I went to Ohio University, I also started one in green and white. However, the blocks need more than two colors so gold and navy have migrated into the design. As much as I am liking this, it's more Notre Dame than OU. My husband will love that but it wasn't my intent.
I am continuing with my two sets each month but I would really like to add a third if I could figure out what would keep it looking more like a Bobcat quilt than a Leprechaun one.
I am also making one of scarlet and gray (for son-in-law #1), but since my husband, both daughters, son-in-law #2, and I went to Ohio University, I also started one in green and white. However, the blocks need more than two colors so gold and navy have migrated into the design. As much as I am liking this, it's more Notre Dame than OU. My husband will love that but it wasn't my intent.
I am continuing with my two sets each month but I would really like to add a third if I could figure out what would keep it looking more like a Bobcat quilt than a Leprechaun one.
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