Quilt As You Go, Simply Done

Simply Done

Marguerita’s Blog

Funky Fuzzy Shortcut Quilt is DONE !

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I just love that word – DONE! Whoooo Hoooo! This will be another donation quilt, even though I love it with all my heart, the thought that it might make a person happy and benefit a child is also one of the reasons I love it.

BUT, until the CASA auction it is going to hang in Seams Like Home Quilt Shoppe in Anchorage! Yay!!

I can’t wait to make another one! LOL 🙂

BTW, I had a really cool webcam chat with Linda last night. She was working on her binding and we chatted a bit about technique. Tonight, as I was working on one of the corners of this quilt’s binding, I took a short video on how I like to make the corners. It is uploading to YouTube now. It says it’s for Linda but you can peek too if you want 🙂

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=93EhTJvaBM4&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0]

Stitch in the Ditch Video Dilema

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I started quilting a 90″ x 90″quilt on my home sewing machine, and doing a “tutorial documentary” on it. Now I am stuck!

I am a long winded teacher (and writer – you have probably noticed) and YouTube, my host of choice for now, allows 10 minute video length. You would think I could get the basics down into 10 minutes…. but no ………. I yap on too long and personally, I don’t like to watch videos (or TV shows) where the speaker talks too fast – -it frustrates me – and I am a naturally slow talker.

So, do I break the video into two parts? Or cut out stuff that I think needs to be said? Meh!! I don’t really know what to do. I think that people don’t really like watching videos in two parts – -but then again, on my “build a cheap sewing or quilting table” I was playing around and made it in two parts and each one has about 7,000 views now. So maybe it’s okay?

I was really hoping to get this all on one 10 minute video! I edited it hard (more than I wanted to) and still have 14 minutes. What do you think? Take more out or make it “part 1” and “part 2”? Oh, here’s the quilt – isn’t it wild? I just love it!

My little writing secret

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I wrote a quilt book (with my daughter as co-author). That’s not the secret 🙂 I have also written a novel, and after letting it sit for several months and re-reading, I realize it’s crappy. BUT! I can do better! This summer, if all goes well (knock on a fat quarter) I will write a second novel (and try to write better). I already have the outline. But that’s not the secret either.

The secret is: I have always wanted to write a screenplay. I figured that writing a non-fiction book, like a quilt book, would be a good start to writing (it was) and I read a lot about the process of writing and the discipline it takes but I know almost zip about writing a screenplay, so I don’t feel like I am ready for it yet- -I put myself in the “I am still learning how” category.

So, here’s one way I am trying to learn. I make videos on YouTube. Now, I used to think that people just stood in front of their cameras, yapped a bit, uploaded and *boom* they are YouTube stars. Not so – at least not the good videos (and I am not talking about vloggers here – – the whole point of vlogging is to be spontaneous).

For a loooooooong time I have wanted to teach a few things and I would like to reach a wide audience, so I chose YouTube. I have a few vids up and have learned quite a bit along the way and gotten some good feedback from great people who take the time to tell me what they think would make my videos better – – and I listen very closely to every one who emails me. I learn as I go.

For weeks I’ve been planning a video just on doing Stitch in the Ditch quilting. It sounds easy – -but it is quite a challenge!! Writing the script! There is *so much* to remember!! Yikes! If you watch my videos, I hope that you will consider giving me your impression and telling me what I should have done differently. I really, really appreciate every single person who emails me and listen closely to what they have to say. Now I am off to work on that SID script some more 🙂

Let me know if you want the “behind the scenes details” or if you just want to see the film version when it’s released – – LOL 🙂 {I want to know – – are you a writer with a secret dream?}

Robbed by Skype

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Stolen: half a month’s bandwidth at $65/month!!

Sarah, Audrey and I keep trying to find easier ways to stay in touch. We bought webcams and have tried Yahoo!, Google Talk and then Skype. Then Tom got the monthly cable bill and we were charged for a humungous amount of usage. We went looking and found that the day I downloaded Skype, our bandwidth was maxed out. Not by the download or usage, but because they routed their traffic through our router & computers!!

Theft is what I call it, plain and simple and stupid me for letting it happen. I knew Skype’s reputation (bad) but had been reading about all those free calls (free because Tom is paying for our bandwidth – which they steal and give away!)

I had no idea that their business operation was funded on stolen bandwidth! The jerks! I don’t support P2P, pirating music, copyright theft and now I don’t support bandwidth theft either.
Link to research #1 Link to article #2 Link to article #3

Do you Play Pool or Billiards?

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We decided, on the spur of the moment, to go to Anchorage for the weekend so that Tom could play in the Fur Rondy Pool Tournament. First, for anyone not in Alaska, Fur Rondy has its traditions in the old fur trade (furs are still traded today) and as a break in the monotony of the tremendously long arctic winters.

When Sarah and her cousins were growing up, it was the highlight of our winters. I’d bundle up the kids and we would go to the carnivals (outdoors rides like ferris wheel, tilt-a-whirl) then go see the snow sculptures, maybe stay late enough for the fireworks. Then we would do the indoor stuff. Craft fairs, face painting for the kids, whatever sounded interesting 🙂

That kind of stuff waned as they became teenagers, so I haven’t really participated in any of the Rondy events in years. In the past I had visited one of the local pool halls, in the basement of a popular bar, just to see what it looked like, but you could cut the cigarrette smoke with a knife and I can’t stand the smell of it, so I quickly left (besides it was intimidating with all the guys concentrating on their shots and games).

Anchorage banned smoking in restaurants and bars a few years ago and the pool hall moved to a new location so I was in for quite the surprise.

Anchorage Billiard Palace was an exceptional treat. So much so that I gave up the chance to shop for fabric, poke around for a few antiques and all the other errands that I put on my list when I heard “two whole days in Anchorage”.

Tom taught me to play pool and he’s very, very good at both playing and teaching. He placed on both Saturday and Sunday, in 8 Ball and 9 Ball, and I thoroughly enjoyed watching him and the other players in the tourney. Most of all, the staff at the Billiard Palace was outstanding. Polite, friendly, warmly meeting the needs of all the players and spectators, allowing me to take video of the room, they are the reason I’d go again. I am shy by nature and a hermit in my old age, so it takes a *lot* to get me out of the house, but I’m thinking about putting in the practice hours on the table so that I don’t embarrass myself if I ever play at the Billiard Palace. I put up a poll on the right hand side of the blog, at the top, because I am curious – do you play?

Some of the things I loved the best: 12 nine foot tables, good lighting, great staff, dress code for men and women, no children allowed, central location in Anchorage and the nicest, most interesting people I’ve chatted with since I came back from Quilt Market.

I did get to see Sarah and Audrey for breakfast and some fabric shopping, but afterward I couldn’t wait to get back to the games! If you have never been inside, here’s what it looked like for most of Saturday and Sunday:

Quilt Block Layout

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Okay, this is just silly! I have been switching these squares around for an hour or more! I am giving up 🙂 It’s just that the fabrics are so funky that no matter how I move the squares around, it’s always going to make some goofy match-ups. It is going to be a wild quilt! Tell me if you see any areas of “too strong” a concentration of fabrics, or too many of the same thing clumped together. I am open to all suggestions!

Making Breakfast Burritos in Bulk

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I found this blog, The Simple Dollar, which I now *love*. In this post, Trent talks about pre-making batches of breakfast burritos and freezing them for later. I have been thinking about doing this for a year!

Anchorage has the very best breakfast burritos I’ve ever eaten. They are wonderful and you can make so many choices!! I love the black bean, potato, egg, sour cream, mmmmm.

I read the recipe that the Trent posted to his blog, and then made my plan. We eat burritos all the time for dinner, with the same wraps, using refried beans, rice, salsa, cheese, onions and anything else leftover too. We love them! So, I am going to follow his recipe but add potatoes and rice, for more protein and carbs. I want to get good at making them so that I can send them out on the boat this summer for Tom and his fishing crew. Did you know that the combination of rice and beans creates as valuable a protein for the body as meat? And it’s a lot more digestible too! Here’s the wiki …

My Super Sunday

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Granny’s Closet, Jodi, Judy W, Desertsky & Garnet Rose, I *did* go out for a wonderful walk yesterday, after everyone’s urging and it was GREAT! I walked on the beach in the salt water, listening to it splash onshore (bundled up in my parka and ExtraTuffs!) Still, the sun was out and it was great!

Rannyjean, Becky and Karen in MN, and Karol, you gals really made me laugh and I thank you from the bottom of my heart!! 🙂

Tina – -take me with you!!!

Snoodles, you are a genius! I have a pic of a warm looking ocean, but never thought of looking at webcams! And I have one!

Tessahjake, I have been converting friends into bloggers (abracadabra, you are now a *blogger*) and that’s been really fun. Good idea to get in touch with old friends.

Both Sues in Australia, I almost want to trade houses with you gals but I *die* at temps over 75 degrees (23-24 C) – – let’s meet in the middle – – say, Hawaii?

Jackie – -I used to live in Indian Rocks Beach as a kid – -Gulf coast, south of Tampa/St.Pete. I’ve often thought of going back to see all the changes, but then again, I like remembering just how it was when I was growing up there 🙂

Here’s a view of the harbor, I walked to about where the coal terminal starts (the blue thing in the center of the photo) and here’s a coal tanker coming in as I was out for my walk.

Okay quilters: Rannyjean was the first name pulled, so she gets first choice of the bundles of fabric in the photo below and Jodi was the second name so she gets the bundle that Rannyjean doesn’t pick! Karen in MN, you made me laugh the hardest (and it was your wading pool in the living room that made me think of putting sun tan lotion on just to smell it!). I need your addresses all three and I’m going to find something to put a smile on Karen in MN’s face!

I feel so cheered up by everything that you all said. I did some blog hopping and found a few blogs where the gals are keeping track of their exercise goals and weight loss and that was a great motivator too! I am really happy that even though I am stuck in the back of beyond physically, I get to visit with wonderful people from all over the world. Thank you!

Comet Lulin

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Have you heard about this comet? It’s supposed to be visible to both hemispheres, visible to the naked eye, and fascinating to watch!

From this page: “Feb. 24th: Closest approach! On this special morning, Lulin will lie just a few degrees from Saturn in the constellation Leo. Saturn is obvious to the unaided eye, and Lulin could be as well. If this doesn’t draw you out of bed, nothing will. [sky map]”

I don’t know the declination, but my guess is that it is lower than the mountains surrounding Seward to the southwest. I’ll try to see it anyway 🙂