Re: Time for another Roll Call?

Debra in south central Virginia USA, 40 something, married, no children, 3 rescue cats. I love old sewing machines and dark chocolate. I needlepoint, cross stitch, sew, & quilt. Debra

My art for sale at:

I am Connie from ND. I live a short way from the geographic center of North America. I lost my beloved DH two years ago and my dear QI last year, so now I live alone. I have 3 great kids, son Jim who lives nearby and is Dad to GS2, daughter Annie, who lives in Montana and is Mom to GS1 and 3, and son Tyler, Our Marine, who was wounded in Afghanistan and is now 100% disabled but has found a full time job at the VA helping new vets and is recently married.

I began quilting with my Grandma when I was very young. I stopped off and on as life got in the way, but came back to doing it as my children got older. I love to do donation quilts for local fundraisers, and most of my other quilts are gifts. I really love retro fabrics and traditional patterns. I recently finished a GFG top done all by hand sewing. It is meant for a first granddaughter, if I ever get one. I hope to get it hand quilted this summer. I have my others quilted by a friend who is a long-armer and does a lovely job. I also crochet and love to do it while I watch baseball games on tv. Go Twins!

The rest of you can have my chocolate. Though I love it, I am trying to cut back!!

Connie from ND

Connie,

It's always good to get an update on "Our Marine." Thanks for that!

I'm sorry to hear about your DH. If you posted about it at the time, I must have missed it. I'm glad you have at least one son nearby to help you out (is Tyler living in the area too?). How far away is Annie and her two little ones?

I think I'll pass on your chocolate, but if you decide to cut back on anything else, let me know. We might find something I can take off your hands!

Hello there Connie! Good to see you here again. Hugs, Pat in Virginia

Holy cats! Am I still here? ;-)

Had some trouble posting via OE, so I'm google grouping it for this 'un.

I'm Anastasia/Tasialue/Teacher Gal/Who-Knows-What-They're-Calling-Me- Today. I am finishing my last three days of teaching in the most horrendous school on the planet. Seriously. Don't get me started. I'll give you three words to give you an idea: East. Saint. Louis. See?

At any rate, I'm just now getting back to quilting after a hiatus of almost three years, during which I got my Master's in English Composition/Linguistics and taught a year at the aforementioned Hell School. I am spending my summer swimming in batiks, practicing my harp, and seeking a new job. In this economy, that last one ought to be real fun. Not.

I'm happily married (10 years this month!) and have sort of semi- adopted three of my former students from years ago. They call me "Mom", I call them my kids. Their home lives were abyssmal, so I stepped in to help. Got two kitties: Sister Mary Mojo and Chiana Pip. They're sisters, and sure keep life interesting!

I'm working on the batik quilt (see cover of American Patwork and Quilting April 2007 for pattern), and I have several on the back-burner, including a red and white log cabin, an art/wall quilt that's going to be a bear, and a few Minkee beasties that have been snots to deal with. I've donated a few to Nurses for Newborns, too.

Other than quilting, I knit so much that if yarn were meth, I'd have no teeth.

So that's about it for now. Hopefully, I'll speak up a little more now that my hands aren't tied to lesson plans and gradebooks!

Anastasia

-- who was given a treadle machine by a close friend and forgot to mention she's restoring that to working condition this summer, too.

Joan in Bellevue NE. Just started collecting Social Security and do love that! Worked in real estate for a number of years, have a Master's degree in Counseling and now work part time in a quilt shop, teach some real estate continuing ed courses and do public relations on the internet for DS#2's 'rock' band 311. (New album comes out

DS#1 (architect) and wife live nearby in Lincoln Ne with the most wonderful grandchildren in the world, of course. DGS is 7 and DGD is almost 4. DS#2 and wife live in Los Angeles, which is too far away.

I make lots of store samples and our current passion is purses and totes. I teach a ANY TOTE/ANY BAG course where you can tackle any pattern for a tote or purse that we carry in the store. We limit the class to 6 people and it's great fun to teach. Sort of like balancing a spinning plate on a long stick while riding a unicycle!

As far as quilting is concerned, I like batiks and brights in traditional quilt patterns with a twist. I'm a sucker for new books and acrylic and variations of old technics. My mother machine pieced and hand quilted everything she made. I mostly stick to machine piecing and quilting, long-arm at the store for most big quilts, but do occasionally hand quilt something that is special.

Current backlog of projects includes a Judy Niemeyer paper pieced quilt in batiks, OVER THE RIVER which has embroidered center panels, a brown/pink basket quilt, and others too numerous to mention. :>

Moving to the top of the stack are an embroidered piece and a purse for our Xmas in July promotion which is about 6 weeks away.

Otherwise, I knit with a passion, garden, watch after our 2 cocker spaniels and try to enjoy each day as it unfolds. p.s. Just lost 14 pounds and am feeling pretty darn good about myself and life in general! joan

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE 311........

I was on this group a LONG time ago. I tried to find it in the past with no luck. I am Kelly in Texas. I have two 4 year old twin granddaughters and another grandbaby due at the end of June. I have been busy babysitting, quilting new baby blankets, knitting. I loved this group and really missed everyone.

Kelly

Well, welcome back, Kelly. Now that you've found RCTQ again, why not stick around. . In message , snipped-for-privacy@aol.com writes