I Remembered the Password!!!

I couldn't get back in here because I'd forgotten the password once blogspot got to be part of Google. I don't do Google. I've worked for Microsoft for far too long to do anything Google. But I like Blogspot better than our Windows Live blogs. I think Anyway, I'll try to pick this up and do some more here. Maybe I'll try out Windows Live blogging, too. See which one I prefer.

I tried to do one on Wordpress recently, but the project it was for got cancelled. My step-daughter, Mariah, and I were going to attempt a bonding thing that involved doing a "cook-the-book" on baking. Then it turns out that Mariah has SIBO (small intestine bacterial overgrowth) and sweets are particularly bad for her. So no more baking for us. Which is too bad because I was going great there for a while. I made an awesome red velvet cake and was ready for the next challenge! I will keep on baking by myself anyways when she's not around (it's not nice to have stuff available that she can't eat without having horrible cramps), but not as much. I want to learn to do pie better.

In fact, I think I'll use this post to make a list of things I want to learn in the next year:

1. Improve my quilt piecing.
2. Do more applique.
3. Do Art Quilting.
4. Learn Free-Motion Quilting.
5. Get really good at pie dough.
6. Can a lot of jams/jellies/salsas.
7. Improve my creativity.
8. Complete 2-3 large size quilts and many more small quilts.

That ought to be a good start. In the meantime, I have some other personal goals:

1. Lose weight (as much as I can since I'm in no danger of losing too much.)
2. Get a new blue badge PM job.
3. Strengthen my family and relationship with my husband.
4. Read more non-fiction and deepen my knowledge.
5. Spend more time with family.
6. Work on getting over my fear of flying.

The top 3 are the most important to me. The rest are icing on the cake. For the artistic goals, I'd say 4, 5, and 8 are the ones that I'd like most to complete. Completing them will help with the others anyway.

A few weeks ago I did a very quick (3 hours from concept to completion) Mug Rug sort of quilt. I sort of used the Reversible Quilt method. Basically I got a piece of batting, a backing, and then sewed strips at somewhat wonky angles. Each time I sewed a strip down it was essentially quilting the back. I put this together for a co-worker who was leaving. She's a very bright, cheerful, sunny person and her office was filled with bright, sunny, cheerful things, so I tried to make a bright, sunny, cheerful mug rug. Here's the front and the back:

There was cat fur all over the seat of the chair on which I took the picture, so I was using tape the next day to blot cat fur off of it. Every quilt piece I work on seems to be covered with car fur. And our cat is a shorthair! But she sheds more than any cat I've ever had. And my craft room is her favorite place to hang out. And throw up hairballs. :( Bad kitty!