Help, I am in withdrawal ...

Here I am now living in Barranquilla, Colombia, WITHOUT a sewing machine as originally planned. What? you say - you had one to travel with before.

So let me tell a tale of woe, a tale of disappointment, and then again, a tale of "perhaps something good will come out of it ..."

Knowing that I would be traveling to live in Colombia for only a short time, I had furnished myself with a small yet powerful Brother sewing machine. It was a great little machine. It sewed wonderfully.

And so ... Betsy was excited about her anticipated move to another wonderful country where she would learn different techniques and use different fabrics. She was lovingly packed with the accruements of sewing - thread, scissors, pins, cutters, ruler, markers, and a cutting mat. She had moved around the country tasting the thrill of sewing a carry-on bag that was a test of her capabilities, a bag that would accompany her on her journey. She hummed with satisfaction as she showed off her variety of stitches that was also part of a sewing challenge. Her owner, was thrilled - she was perfect.

Betsy arrived at the airport early, no, very early in the morning of the day of departure. She was accompanied by her new found friends, 2 large suitcase duffles, a small carry-on and a backpack. She didn't have a passport, she didn't need one. She did however, have a List of Contents readily visible on her side. Standing in line, waiting to check in, she tried a tumble or two, but she recovered nicely. It finally was her turn to check in. There was trouble right from the start.

it turns out that her flight was cancelled, without notification, due to the harsh weather in the East, not because of something she had done. The airline lady, who was trying to sort out the problem, looked at her gaily printed sox sitting amidst her new found friends and said, "You do know that there is an embargo on the amount of luggage that you can take with you, don't you?" Betsy quivered with a feeling of doom. "Why no, I didn't. I had no problems in June with much more than this ..." she heard. "Well I am sorry, you will have to get everything into just two bags, nothing more. If we let everyone carry a lot of luggage, we would have to hire another plane just for the baggage." "Can I pay the overcharge?' "it will be $300 per bag per leg of the journey for anything more than 1 bag."

Betsy was really afraid now because she knew that she wasn't worth anywhere near that amount and that another could be purchase for less where they were going. Sighing and frustrated, they all left the airport, to return the next morning to try again.

In the hotel room, the process began. What to discard, how to repack. A slow process ensued and finally everything was done. Betsy sat forlornly on the bed, her box open and bereft of all her accruement, waiting for what she knew was coming. It wasn't a question of when, just how and what. She wasn't going. But how to maximize her qualities was the question. Betsy wanted to do something worthwhile in her life, something that would distinguish her from all the other machines, something that would allow her to hold her head up high, albeit silently.

In the morning, they all piled into the taxi to return to the airport. Betsy too, but not put together for travel, she thought. She knew, but what? Suddenly her ears perked up - a conversation was going on and it was about her. Oh boy, maybe she could go after all. No, wait, she is going to a new home. There is this wonderful refuge group that helps single moms to become self-sufficient and they sure could use a sewing machine for the ladies to use and share. Oh boy, oh boy, she was going to a place where she could watch with pride as her new users made a difference in their lives and that of their children - she wasn't lost, nor discarded, no, she was wanted.

Yes, I had to leave Betsy behind, but it came with a sense of positiveness. She would help someone else out, maybe not me, but ... I can't help but wonder if Betsy ever thinks about me now? I know that I think of her often, wondering about the wondrous sights that she is seeing and things that she is producing .....sigh .......

One does what one has to do ...

The urge to sew - no sewing room - staying with DS, DIL, and grands, all teens. No wait, the oldest is now 20 - the dining room table? no, very traditional and sits in all it's glory, unused. The kitchen table? no, the kids have their school books and school work out on it. The eating niche? no it is too high for me as they use bar stools to sit at it. Ok so where? Wait the oldest grand's computer desk, he has gone to college. Oops, online video game set-up here so ...

One does what one has to do ...

unplug the monitor, sew, plug monitor back in. Round and round we go. And don't bother sewing in the evening as the monitor is being used. Still I managed to get the second side of my bag and the bottom done and today I will be doing the sides and straps. Hopefully done by tomorrow night. This mixed in with all the other things that need to be done.

very traditional (except can you find the scraps?) which monikers needlework - precise and traditional - whereas the other side is for the wannabee liberated quilter.

bottom:

Rainbow Jane

Yesterday my mail arrived and along with it was the first of many Rainbow Jane BOMs. The fabrics are wonderful and so bright. Oh my goodness. It really will be a rainbow of colours. Off I went to get the small needles that I read you need for hand-sewing. Got size10. They look awfully small - hopefully I will be able to manage them with hands that are definitely used to the bigger needles of needlepoint and cross-stitch.

Fabrics: [the white across the top is the background]

and first block - A-1, yellow - but which yellow? I guess I make the choice. So here goes ...

Needlework update ...

The one type of project that has worked well with my being "homeless" is needlework. As you all know, I currently am working on Santa ornaments, Christmas Blocks, and a cross-stitch Enchanted Sleigh.

The Christmas blocks were somehow routed to the back of the pile as I had left some of the necessary threads packed in storage. But I have them now - found them yesterday, so I can once again go to work on them. I am working on the A; have the embellishments for the M coming in on Monday; and still have the S, Santa, and Happy left to do. They will be finished, hopefully well before Christmas so that I can get them in to the finishers.

And then there are the Santa Ornaments, which are coming along nicely, thank you. I continue to work on them a section at a time. However, I am finding that the ones that aren't painted could have probably used more threads for coverage. White does show through at time. They look good however, and I think that I will have them finished with a red fabric behind them to try and minimize the white. They definitely will be finished, hopefully before I leave for Colombia so that I can send them off to the finishers from the USA. When sending things such as this from foreign countries, it is sometimes hard to guarantee delivery.

As for the Enchanted Sleigh, nothing new since the last update. It too has been regulated to the bottom of the pile. But I will be flying on Monday week, all day, so more will definitely get done.

I have also mounted my Wild Woman now on stretcher bars. I also picked up some threads the last visit to The French Knot in Ft Worth. I have strong loyalty attachments to places that I gone the extra mile for me, and these ladies have done that.

She won't get started until I am in Colombia and finished the Santa ornaments.

And now you know about as much as I do ...

Just had to do it ...

Since leaving Quilter's Connection in Dallas, I simply couldn't get one of the panels that she had hanging on the wall out of my mind. I kept going back and back and back to it. How could this be? I have enough and more to keep me busy for the next few months. Does one's mind play games with you? Mine sure is and I have learned to listen up.

So off I go, on my way out of town, on a re-routing that the GPS must think "you are crazy" for. I return to the shop, an hours drive out of the way, but hey, it doesn't add any more time onto the rest of the trip. During the visit, I learn that this frequently occurs to the stores customers as well a the owner. [ah ha, I am not going crazy!] I walk out with the fabric on my mind. IT took all of about 30 minutes from start to finish and, to boot, I added another prepackaged table runner. Help, I don't have a place to live, but my stash continues to grow!

Laurel Burch's Holiday fabric, but only select pieces:

As I rumble around the hotel room, trying to decide what will go and what won't go with me to Colombia, I keep wanting to go back to the sewing machine and get started on my carry-on bag.

So far, I have:

a. framed the wonderful Alma Lynn squares that I received:

The quilting one will be liberated a little while the needlework one will be regimented, at least that is how I see it.