Halloween is almost here!!!!

I know that is hard to believe. We have only been in our house since August 1...but we are settled in with only a few things to do before winter sets in.

Some of you have followed our journey from Pocatello to Lewiston over the last year. I will do a pictorial recap of getting my sewing room set up!
When we bought this house in February, half of the basement was nothing but concrete walls as one whole room.

Above is the contractor standing in the "library" and me standing in my "classroom" looking through the utility room. Below is my sewing room, with old window, and we kept the old desk.

 Below we took out the window, and added a door and a huge old bush was taken out.

Jump forward by a few months...and we have completed painting, laying of floors and carpet upstairs. Time to unpack and move in!

 Above is my sewing room, where the window used to be, now there is a door. Window was rescued and put in our bedroom as a second window.

 This is my closet, and looking down the hallway, bathroom on right, and large room at end.

Here is my "classroom" in it's beginning, egress window is new, plus it has a closet.

Above and below, floor is being laid in both rooms. Because some of the walls are concrete, the baseboards were glued in and the stretch bars held in place overnight.

See, we did keep the old desk, but I had the contractors cut off the left side where it had a rounded overhang!

All my cubicles had to be put back together! They are numbered and wrapped together.

 My wonderful hubby helping with putting together.

Above you can see the cubicles going in place, Sandy below is now putting up pictures and other hanging elements.

 I call this room my studio, and my favorite artist, Susan Rios is back, titled "A New Arrangement", boy is that ever true!

Now you can see some organization is happening...

 Let's see how the "classroom" is coming together.

We still had boxes to deal with as we put the cubicles together.

The table we just happened to buy at a garage sale before we even moved in..for only $20!

With unpacking the cubicles became full, and some decorations get displayed!

Love lights with glassware!

My 2020 Challenge, "Gospel in the Stars" quilt is on the table waiting to be finished!

 Artwork is now showing up on the walls!

 Above, I hung the quilters loop on the wall with the intention of hanging my seasonal pieces!

Now back to my studio, for some organizing ideas.

My yarns hang on the back of closet doors.

My mother painted the beach picture.

                                          Ribbons above with yarns below.

                              More ribbons above and specialty threads. 
                        oh, on the right is a collection bookmarks!!!

 Genius at work!!!

Closet has two shelves, where I have put all my books.
 Next goal is to fill up the closet with shelves so more supplies will be found.

So this past week I have finished three UFO'S...

     Downton Abbey is a RR 

I participated in 2015

The pocket on the back is for the booklet others signed.

Started this piece in 2018 just before we moved.

I actually thought I had lost it, as it was not packed with the rest of my projects.  I took the time to go through every plastic bin with fabrics to make sure the labels were correct, and suddenly found it!
Which was no small feat!

But I was very happy to find it!

 

  I call it "Never Forget" for September 2011...in time to hang for Veterans Day!

 And finally, last by not least this week, I finished a piece I didn't know how to finish. Got the tip for Allison Aller of how to back it and finish it off, the original beach idea came from Jackie Jamison.

 I call this one, Beach Therapy.

 The front panel is pulled tight and wrapped around a piece of firm cardboard...

The back is also covered over a white board, and then put together and slip stitch together. Then I took the yarn and crocheted a chain stitch to whip stitch to cover the edges. It is so light weight and easy to hang anywhere! Thanks Ladies!

Well, thanks for visiting...I have 3 more UFO projects to finish, so I will highlight them next time. 

It is a great feeling to finally be settled in and enjoying life. That move was enough stress to last us a lifetime!! But not sorry that we did move!!!

As always, thanks for following me...and Happy Stitching...and be sure to check out my Flickr page for lots of pictures of my journey...
 https://www.flickr.com/photos/60882932@N06/

 

AND WHAT A YEAR THIS HAS BEEN!!!

We have moved to Lewiston, and right now trying to get set up in our new house.  It has been an exhausting year. With ups and downs.

We arrived in October, got settled into the rental, but left most of what we owned in boxes. It was great to slow down from all the work of moving.  By January, our little Sonny was showing signs of sickness. Vet said all three were showing signs of kidney disease, and changing their diet would help them manage it, maybe for years.  Two weeks later, Sonny is back to the vet, not eating or doing well.  This time, cancer had shown up in nodes.  We put him on steroids to boost his appetite, and maybe shrink the cancer.  It did work for a while, but we only got the six weeks extra with him. I was his 24 hour caregiver, and would have taken more if I could. He was my constant companion over 17 1/2 years and I miss him dearly.

FOREVER IN MY HEART...SEE YOU AT THE RAINBOW BRIDGE!

With Sonny at my side, this January I worked on my 2020Challenge, Gospel in the Stars. I will always treasure those moments.  I did get the whole center completed that month.

This is what is completed so far. I am a little over 1600 count.  As you can see, there are still 4 corners to be added, and I have planned them out on Powerpoint! Unpacking is my new exercise program right now, but I hope to be back to work on this quilt by Christmas, giving me a whole year left to finish!

I have an article published in the Crazy Quilt Quarterly, just out, that does go into a little more details of the 2020 Challenge quilt. You can click on the link to order a copy. Also the link on the challenge will go to Sharron Boggon's blog.

 Next month, on September 3rd, I am doing my first Trunk Show for the Kamiah Quilt Guild at their meeting.  I will post some pictures next blog!

As always, thanks for following me and I enjoy reading your comments.

BJ Sandusky,

Happy Stitching!

 

JANUARY GREETINGS!!!

Just a quick post to promote Pamela Kellogg's beautiful Crazy Quilt Calendar...click here to purchase!

 

I am honored to be on August with my latest Under The Sea

When she asked me if I would do a UTS for the calendar, I immediately said yes! I had an idea in my head to do one horizontally and with lots Shibori Silk from Shibori Girl 

Now I need to get it framed! 

Stay tuned for more updates to follow on my "Gospel in the Stars" 2020 Challenge!!!

Happy Stitching!!!

 

 

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2019!!!!!!

Well, I am sure ready for a new year!!! I bet you are too!!!

It has been a year of many changes for us. Took another trip to look at Prescott, Arizona in January. Again, felt it was not going to be the right place for us. Ten years of looking was getting old!!! Finally, Lewiston, Idaho seem to find us!! Saw it for the first time in May, then again in June...rented a house in August, began the packing process, sold our house in Pocatello in October, and settled in by the end of October!!! It's been great to have a rest period...but we are on the lookout for a new house to make that last move!!!

Challenge

I do want to do an update on my 2020 Challenge that Sharron Boggon got us started on in 2017! For any newbies, here's her link on Pintangle.
 First as a catchup, here are the list of previous posts dates, located on the right side of my page:
July 17, 2017
August 24, 2017
October 25, 2017
November 1, 2017
January 7, 2018
March 17, 2018
April 4, 2018
You can also see me in my album on Crazy Quilt Divas,  you can also see my progress on my Flickr site, and you can keep up with my progress on my facebook site!!!
So let's do a progress check on the constellations and their decans. Each constellation has 3 decans that help tell the story, making 48 total ancient constellations. I have tried to use lots of embellishments and charms as symbolism of the story! 

Virgo is actually first in the story of the virgin who gives birth to a Son!

Libra is next...watch for the yellow and white stars numbering the block.

Scorpio is number three...look again for the 3 star combo!

 Sagittarius, starts the vertical coming down the left side.

Capricorn is next.

Followed by Aquarius!

Pisces, comes across the bottom edge horizontally.

Aries is in the middle.

Taurus is last horizontally.

Gemini, which is my sign. Comes up vertically on the right side.

Cancer is next.

Leo bringing up the end of the story, as the Tribe of Judah.

Here you see the middle in progress. Each Bible quote points to a constellation with the corresponding message.There are to be added a lot of embellishments still.

And now you can see how the whole quilt is coming together. There are now 4 more corner blocks to be determined. At this point I am at 1400 count. Quilt will be roughly 60" by 60".
On the back of the quilt, I will have these shown as my references for my research!!!

 

I have a feeling a lot more changes and happenings will be listed for 2019!  I should have more progress made on this quilt; hopefully we will find a house to buy and be moved in. And even a few RV trips in the making!!! Maybe even have some time to work on a couple UFO'S that I still have to finish! I pray you have a wonderful and Blessed Happy New Year for 2019!!!!
All center pictures from the blog of Signs in the Heavens.

Happy Stitching, and as always, thanks for visiting.!

JUST A COUPLE BOOMER WILDCATS!!!

I enjoyed having 4 students come over to my house and enjoy stitching and making progress on their projects! 

Diane, Patti, Sophi and J'neane (not shown) are continuing progress on their blocks or even starting new blocks.

This is Diane's block, which has some new corrections added to it...more when we meet again...

Sophie's block is a wonderful blend of whites, greys, blacks and pinks...Can't wait to see where she is at on our next stitching day!  Patti is making a needle case and I will have pics later as an update!

Had a wonderful July 4th...peaceful and quiet..and of course, stitching!!!

And here's what I stitched...well, I worked on it the month of June. Now I need to border and back it!

You will want to watch and order the next Autumn issue Crazy Quilt Quarterly, as there will be an article by me about making this piece! Thanks to Pamela Kellogg for all her hard work in making this our best and only Crazy Quilt magazine!

I will be adding a new addition to my blogs...whenever we travel..I will talk about where we are going, have been, have met, and places to shop along the way.

Some back story...we got rid of a 32' 5th wheel because it was just too big for us. And then we decided to sell our little camper to get another one in the mid size range. They both ended up to new buyers living on the same street not far from our house!!! The young family that bought our little camper are a wonderful Christian couple with a couple growing boys!

Well, then we knew we needed to get the one we would be happy with...and Sandy found it not far from us, another wonderful Christian couple. They had bought a new toy hauler and needed to get rid of the Wildcat that we ended up buying!

It's 2006, good condition and lots of storage space...important to a stitcher like me!!!

So when we are on the road, we will be the Boomer Wildcats...and I will have this logo to alert you to the new posts:

In our travels around the country, we hope to meet up with many of you and even have some stitching time together!!!

As always, thanks for following me.

Happy Stitching...

BJ Sandusky

My Favorite Month!!!

Well, that's a little prejudicial...It's my birthday month!!!

Last month, I posted my Victorian Enchantment won a second place ribbon at the local Pocatello Art Center!!! This is it's second award...here's a video to see all the bling....

 I am really fond and proud of this piece, which was started in my first class with Judith Baker Montano, and then took 5 years to finish....

I had a Trunk Show Presentation for the 3rd year in a row with the Fort Hall Replica Museum...always fun and happy they call me in!!! 

Had a great excuse to do some stitching on a current project and spent the afternoon with a former student and accomplished traditional quilter, J'neane Smith as she worked on her current projects.

 This is a very early quilt I did in 1999 as a present to my parents for their 50th. They are both gone now, so I am happy to have the quilt back.

 This is J'neane working on her present quilt for her husband, 

and the one on the side, is 900 pieces, completely hand stitched,

which she has a right to be proud of...her stitches are smaller

than most machines!!!

Couple of my latest additions to my crazy quilt library!!

And this is my patriotic piece I am working on that afternoon...much embellishments to be added!

More on this project when it is finished!!

 And now, we prepare for a second trip to Lewiston!!

Thanks for visiting....and Happy Stitching!