Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Flower Power X 3


Books can be dangerous. The best ones should be labeled "This could change your life."
~Helen Exley

Everything was quiet around the house yesterday.  It seemed a little strange after having family in and out for the last two weeks.  Even the birds outside were quiet - I think they were just trying to cope in the heat.  I enjoyed the peacefulness.  I enjoyed the solitude.  I did talk with my mother but that was just 30 minutes of listening with a couple of "is that right" and "I understand" thrown in for good measure.  I did finish listening to a book recommended to me by another blogger (I can't remember who *see me hanging my head in embarrassment*) - Water For Elephants by Sara Gruen.  Excellent!  It was a good book to sew by.  Do you ever listen to books while sewing?  Have you heard/read a good book lately?

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PHOTO FACT OF THE DAY

National Camera Day

The earliest cameras were massive, difficult to operate and required subjects to hold posses for so long they often needed to sit down or lean against a table.  Photography started with a camera and the basic idea has been around since about the 5th Century B.C. For centuries these were just ideas until an Iraqi scientist developed something called the camera obscura sometime in the 11th Century. Even then, the camera did not actually record images, they simply projected them onto another surface. The images were also upside down.  Photography and cameras were brought to the general public by George Eastman somewhere around 1885. He called his first camera the 'Kodak'. It was a simple box camera which had a fixed focus lens and had a single shutter speed. It had enough film for a hundred exposures (photos) and had to be sent back to the factory for processing the camera, as well as reloading it. Cameras became widely available only in the nineteenth century, with Kodak coming out with a series of box cameras as well as folding cameras.The Brownie by Kodak may be the cheapest camera to be ever made, with it being sold at around a dollar. The Brownie was also the camera to introduce the 'snapshot' concept. The Brownie was first introduced in 1900 and was on available for purchase even till 1960.  The first true digital camera was the Fuji DS-1P in 1988. It had a 16 MB internal memory. However, it was never released in the US. The first widely available digital camera was released in 1991, the Kodak DCS-100.

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HEXAGON SWAP

Yesterday I finished two hexagon flowers for my July swap partner in the Inchy Hexagon Flower Swap.  First I made this flower.......

Paula requested bright petals with the center being any color of green.  These petals are definitely bright.  Next I made Paula a second flower......

The purple isn't necessarily bright but the pinks and greens make the petals bright.  And, again, with the same green center.  These will be off in today's mail to Paula.

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MAIL DELIVERY TO CANADA

I read where we can now start sending mail to Canada again (as of Monday, June 27).  USPS said there might be some delays until all the backlog is cleared but they hope to have everything back to normal soon.

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MY OWN FLOWER

Today is One Flower Wednesday!  And, of course, I couldn't let that go by without my weekly addition to my GFG.....

Just look at those plump little ladybugs on the petals!  I like how their feet added a whole different dimension to the center of the flower.  And, yes, this is another green center.  Guess I just sort of got stuck on green this week.  This will be a great addition to my other bright flowers :)
And, thanks to Karen's linky (of Journey of a Quilter), you can view more wonderful hexagon flowers out there in blogland by clicking on Karen's name or on the link on my sidebar.

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TODAY'S GOAL

Today I will make swap blocks for Block Swap Adventure and Quilting Block Swaps Australia.

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GIVEAWAYS

Amy's Creative Side is having a giveaway.  You could win 2 Lapel Sticks.  This giveaway ends Friday, July 1.

Irish Muses is having a giveaway.  You could win a Beam n Read.  This giveaway ends Friday, July 1, Irish time.

Happy Cottage Quilter is having a giveaway.  You could win a Beam n Read here also.  A winner will be selected Saturday, July 2.

Diary of a Quilt Maven is having a giveaway.  You could win a copy of Snowy Garden Stitcheries pattern.  Monica will pick a winner on Friday, July 1.

Diary of a Quilt Maven is also having another giveaway.  In this giveaway you could win 6 patterns by Sue Daley of Patchwork With Busy Fingers.  A winner will also be drawn for this giveaway on Friday, July 1.

Fabric Worm is having their weekly giveaway.  This week you could win 6 bolt ends from the Heather Ross Far Far Away 3 collection from Kokka Japan.  This giveaway ends Monday, July 4, at 8:30 am PST.

Do you need a new pair of embroidery scissors?  Or maybe a kit for a table runner?  You could win those at MY VACATION GIVEAWAY!

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FINAL THOUGHT

I have been toying with the idea of purchasing a new sewing machine.  I'm just beginning the research.  I would absolutely love a long arm and quilting frame but have neither the money nor the room.  I have started with research on the HQ Sweet Sixteen with the sit down table.  It affords ample sewing room for quilting without taking up too much room.  Plus it lets me sit down while quilting which is a good thing since I can't stand up for long periods of time.  Have any of you ever used this machine?  Could you let me know the pros and cons?  Is there another machine out there similar to the HQ Sweet Sixteen that allows you to sit down?  Do you know of a good source that reviews such machines?  As you can tell, I asking you for your advice.  Let me hear from you!

I always pass on good advice.  It's the only thing to do with it.  It is never any use to oneself. 
 ~Oscar Wilde

42 comments:

Barb said...

I usually listen to music or have the TV on for company....or mostly quiet....
love your hexie!

Vroomans' Quilts said...

I love early mornings - waiting for the first bird to sing. Just love your hexies - clever use of the lady bugs and yes, their little feet do add another element, so cute!

Sent my Canadian bound packages out yesterday - curious how long it will take, but one went priority and the others are my July swaps, so they may be on time!

I tried the sitting HQ16 at a show - don't know of any other type. I have been looking into a Bailey - way cheaper and there is an area dealer/service/training.

Gerda Hartman said...

I always listen to the radio or a CD when sewing. Love your very cute flower.

Teresa F. said...

Lovely flowers. I just love the ladybug one! It's so cute.

Barbara said...

I don't recall if I recommended it, but I love that book also! Your hexies are lovely, the purple reallyl catches my eye. Talking with my Mother often goes the same way. Listening is so important for her. Have a great day!

sunny said...

Cute ladybug flower! I usually have the television on whille I'm sewing, but it might just be on the Weather Channel, or a movie that I've seen a dozen times. Good luck with your sewing machine research and purchase.

Pat said...

Another cute 'one flower'!

Sheila said...

Love the hexies especially the ladybugs , that is adorable . As for the machine I am not familar at all with that machine so sorry no help there . Oh the Brownie camera was our first camera as a child and I still have one , don't use it but still love the look of it . I usually sew in silence , not sure why :-)Enjoy your day.

Marcia - Crafty Sewing and Quilting said...

I like your facts about cameras. I think my son bought his first digital camera when he was in High school back in 1999 and then another one in 2002 and another one in 2005 and another one in 2009. I get his hand me downs. They just get better and better!

Enjoy your day!

Average Quilter said...

I love your ladybug flower - it is just too cute

Christine said...

The hotel on the corner of bitter and sweet is an excellent book!

I <3 your flowers!

Needled Mom said...

The Water for Elephants was excellent. We got my mom the book on tape to listen to when she was recovering from surgery a few years ago.

Your hexies are wonderful. I love the bugs!!

I think I would go with one of the larger throat machines so that I could use it for sewing as well as quilting. I have seen the sit down HQ, but not used one. Whatever you get, make sure you have support close to you. Have fun researching.

Anonymous said...

I'm afraid I will just let you down...I don't know a thing about the machine you mentioned, but I wanted to tell you that I love your hexie flowers! They are so bright and fun!
Jacque in SC
quiltnsrep(at)yahoo(dot)com

Lynda said...

Always love your hexie flowers.

Kathryn said...

I, too, loved Water for Elephants. I hear the movie isn't as good - no real chemistry between the couple. I've just joined the Hexie swap that you are in, but I didn't get you and you didn't get me! I just love your fussy cut flowers and look forward to seeing you put them all together. Best of the summer to you, Kathie L in Allentown

Hilachas said...

Your hexie flowers are so cute :)
Yes, I listen to audio books while sewing. I can really get involved in the story and end up doing 2 things I really love at once. I tried to mail a package to Canada on the 27th but the post office rejected it. I'll try again today...

sewfunquilts said...

I usually have the small tv on in my sewing room. Your hexies are so cute.

I did try the sit down HQ16 at a quilt show, and it was so easy. The only problem I see with it, is you still have to "sandwhich" your quilt before you quilt with it, where the 'stand up' ones use the rollers and no pre-sandwiching involved. Good luck with deciding.

Annette said...

I am in love with those adorable lady bugs. You are so clever.

Joanna said...

I always listen to books on tape while crafting. Right now it's Harlan Coben's "Live Wire." Cozy or classic mysteries are my favorite Very cute hexies. Don't have a quilt machine. Those words "Financing available" always put me off:)

Catskill Quilter said...

Linda, I love to come to your blog on Wenesday and see what you have done with your hexagon flowers! You fussycut those darling ladybugs perfectly -- how cute!

Megan Harmeyer said...

I haven't read much of anything for probably close to a year! I just started Annexed (a fiction written in the perspective of Anne Frank's boyfriend). It's pretty good so far. I love the little lady bugs - they fit perfectly on the flower petals!

Jessica said...

I have never listened to a book while quilting, but I just finished Water for Elephants too! Another book I've been reading is "The Power of One" - it's a novel about a boy growing up in apartheid South Africa. Amazing. I don't know if it's recorded, but I highly recommend it.

Birdie said...

Love your bright lady bug hexie. I also just finished Water for Elephants.

Becky said...

I may be wrong but isn't the "George" quilting machine a sit down model? Pat Sloan blogged about sewing with a sit down machine.

Love your ladybug fabric!

The Guernay Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society was excellent as an audiobook. I normally listen to a bike that I have already read when I'm sewing or driving. Have a wonderful day!

Staci said...

Pretty hexies, Linda! So cheerful!
I sent out two packages to Canada this morning. Yay! I wonder how long it will take to get the thousands of boxes and letters delivered? The clerk at our PO said they have shipping containers stacked sky high at ports full of international post, as well as stacks at airports and in warehouses, too! What a mess!

quiltzyx said...

I just love how you fussy cut for your hexies - they are always striking!

Right now I'm reading the 2nd book in a series by Marie Bostwick. The first one, A Single Thread was based on a real-life quilt shop owner. It was so good, I wanted it to go on & on! I came across the book later, and thought to check amazon.com and ~ hurray!! ~ there were now a series of books! The one I'm reading now is A Thread of Truth, then will come A Thread So Thin and Threading the Needle. I usually read late at night, when I go to bed...and the one I'm reading now is so good it's very hard for me to put it down & turn off the light to sleep!

merumo said...

Another cute fussy cut flower of your own!! Can't wait to see them altogether. It will be really pretty...

Lynette said...

Oh, the ladybugs!! And thanks for letting us know about Canada. I think I will wait a couple more days to let them move some of the backlog. What a nightmare for them, eh?

krisgray said...

LOL! This reminds me of people calling to ask, when I worked at the historical society, if we had any photos of Lewis & Clark. We had to explain that there weren't cameras in 1804!

Unknown said...

All of your hexis are lovely. The green center really stands out! I love lady bugs, so I think that one is my favorite.

I read the book Water For Elephants and really wanted to see the movie, but missed it. I will wait for it to come out on DVD. Have you ever heard any of the Sophie Kensella books? She writes the Shopaholic series. Very cute and funny! I love the british accent too!

Lisa said...

Love the ladybugs!!

And your conversations with Mom sound just like mine. ;-)

Karen said...

I have yet to try listening to a book, but it does sound like a wonderful idea. Two excellent flowers for Paula and I LOVE, did I say, LOVE your flower this week!!

Nancy said...

I usually have the TV on when I sew. I record lots of programs so I always have something interesting to watch.
I love the book quote. They do change your life. I don't know if this is on tape but my absolute favorite book of all time is Tending Roses by Lisa Wingate. I call it my heart book. I've read it a few times and have a copy by my bed. Highly recommend it.

WoolenSails said...

If I am working in my sewing room, I listen to music, for hand sewing, I sit in the living room and watch tv.
For some reason, I crash sometimes, when I come to your site, today I guess it is ok to come in, lol.

Debbie

Linda said...

Love, love, love the little ladybug hexi!

Lana said...

I have to agree! I love love love the ladybug hexie too!
Being a photographer, I was so interested in your camera post. I didn't know that about the first digital camera! Wow! That just proves it - You are a gift of knowledge!
I will look at the machine you were talking about too...maybe we can compare notes!

Barbara said...

Your hexies are all so cute!

As for your sewing machine, it might be worth your while to post your question on the Quilted Paradise forum. Those women really know their stuff, and they aren't afraid to give their honest opinions! You might have to sign in with a users name, but they won't send you anything or give you any trouble. I read the digest of messages every morning, and thoroughly enjoy it:

http://www.quiltingboard.com/

Kate said...

I just love your lady bug hexie...she is gorgeous,, I also love the purple one for our other swap...
Sorry I can't help you with you research on the machine,,but I do Love audio books too while I am sewing...I am working my way through books by Rosie Goodwin who was a childrens' social worker...but "be warned" these are very sad and tissues have to be on hand,:) I am also reading books by Marie Bostwick (quilt related) and love them...xx

Brita said...

I didn't think I had room for it, but I wanted it so bad, I moved stuff out of my sewing room to make room for my HQ Avante. It has a 10' studio frame, and altho I don't need to, I have it slanted slightly, and I have no problem getting around it to the back in my 12' room. I love it, and wish I'd done this years ago. The sandwiching and arm-wrestling a quilt in my domestic were just more than I could stand anymore. The frame can be elevated or lowered -- mine is at a level where I can stand or if I'm going to stitch in a smaller area (not all the way back and forth on a large quilt) I can sit on my drafter's stool, and it has wheels to move if it weren't on carpet. Good luck with your decision!

Cheryl's Teapots2Quilting said...

I listen to audio books while hand quilting. Harry Potter series is my favorite (my boys will come listen with me on these) but, I also enjoy bio's and historical novels along with mysteries.

Miss Hillbilly said...

Can I share your hexie on my blog tomorrow? It is so so so cute!!! I'll link it back to you of course.

I have a Horizon which has an 11" throat, an HQ 16 I have heard about but never looked into. I hope you can find something that works for you.

Anonymous said...

Love your hexagon! I don't listen to books, find it too distracting, but I read constantly. I bought a Kindle last year, and I have hundreds (literally) of books for it that are waiting to be read - most of them waiting in a folder on my computer since I can't stand to leaf through more than about 5 pages on the Kindle, even if they are alphabetical.

I finished Game of Thrones series by George R. R. Martin and am waiting for #5 to come out in that. Now I'm reading #3 in The Awakened by Jason Tesar. Game of Thrones was extremely well written. The Awakened is not rocket science, but the story drags you in anyway.

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