I am still alive I promise!!!

I wasn't planning on having such a long leave of absence from my blog. Qwest, our Internet DSL service provider, is to thank for that glitch. They messed up our connection for over nine days during our move. But it is fixed now, and all seems to be working well. As for all the emails about my back, it is well and made it through the move (with help from my chiro). Life is still a mess of boxes and such, but it is getting closer to looking like a normal life again.

This is one corner of our home that is sort of straight at the moment. I collect white iron stone and other white dishes. These were all found at thrift stores except the rooster; my sister gave it to me. I think she found it junking, too. The round balls are from Lillian Vernon; not old at all, but I like them.

The green velvet chair is a circa 1880's from the Eastlake furniture company. I have two of these; in the future I would like to get more Eastlake furniture. I love the carved details on them.

Those who have read this blog know my favorite colors are black, red and white. Yep, this has two of my faves in it.

With the move and all, I haven't been able to make much lately. I hope that changes in the near future because we are in our home, and my sister-in-law and her family are situated in our old home. So, I think life should slow a little bit and let me get back to making things.

At Play Not Far Away

Taking a break from packing while I cooked dinner; the family went to the park just past our backyard boundaries to go play.

I am taking the photos from our back deck. I know I gave birth to three little girls, but I swear I have the biggest boy in the world. Which is great; it makes it so much more fun for the kids to have a Pai who wants to play and have fun instead of being a bump on a log. I always call him the human jungle gym. If he isn't climbing something, then the kids are probably climbing on him and attacking him. It was good for them to have a break and do something fun.

Sunlight and shadows

This picture sort of sums up our mornings right now. The sun is so bright through our family room windows that you need sunglasses on and a hat to function in that room. The good thing is the view from that window shows you the whole Salt Lake Valley; it's very pretty at night to see all the twinkling lights. This is a picture from our new home -- not everything is in its place yet, but it is getting there. In time we will cover those windows; we're still moving.

We have about 20%-30% of our stuff left to move; the goal is to do that Saturday. The only yucky part is that it is lots of china, china cupboards, and an armoir that are left to move, and everything is very heavy. I have already been to the chiropractor twice during this move and will go again tonight. I'm not complaining; the house we are moving into is lovely. We will need to put a yard in, but I think it will be a nice place. One big plus is thatI have a sewing room that might actually be big enough to have me and my supplies in it at the same time. The way my day goes right now: wake up at 5:00 a.m., un-box, un-box and un-box even more till 10:00 a.m. Load all empty boxes into car and drive roughly 25 miles to old home and box up items from 10:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.; go home, bring boxes in and un-box till roughly midnight. Then start all over again in the morning at 5:00 or 6:00 (if I am lucky that I can sleep in that late).

Our computer is at our old home because phone service isn't hooked up yet at the new home. So, sorry my posts are very sporadic at the moment.

Flicker groups I admin

Please feel free to check them out and join them too!!

Take time to smell the flowers

1. more tiny flowers, 2. colors, 3. summer time flowers, 4. tiny flowers

I have been in my attic all day pulling down holiday boxes. If you have ever been in an old house, attics are very, very hot. It gave me a splitting headache. So, I decided to take a break to look at my neighbors flowers; I am going to miss both the neighbors and their lovely flowers. Here are a few lovelies for you to look at.

UPDATE June 15
Just got back from the Chiropractor; found out I had six vertebra out in my back and a few in my neck -- thus the backache and the headache. Back to moving...Yeah!!!!

Still Packing

The boxes to the right now line what used to be a very wide hall and is no more.

Well, it is amazing how much stuff a family can own. Then you have to move it and take it from its normal spot; the house just gets messier and messier and harder to function in, but yet you still have to pack more. On top of that, two nights ago in my sleep somehow I tossed the right side of my back out -- so much fun, packing. Not!!!

It is kind of weird the way all the stuff just sort of starts to collect in one room after it has been unloaded of books, toys, and what not. The nice thing is, my kids are trying to be helpful; not really succeeding -- more under foot than anything -- but they are trying so hard; it is sweet.

The move will be worth it in the end. The kids will have their own rooms, and I will have a bigger sewing room in the hopes of keeping everything in it to a major extent and not have it hidden all over the house. At the moment, trying to make a project is like hide and seek trying to remember where I put the supplies.

Don't forget to sign up for my blogiversary give away in a few weeks; the link is also to the right on the side bar if the one in this post shouldn't work for some reason. Sign up closes the night of July 3rd. As soon as the comments hit 100, I will be adding another mini quilt; this next one is a yoyo quilt. So tell your friends, the more the merrier.

photos on explore

Some of these are on explore currently, and some are in the past and bounce in and out of explore. If you want to make one of these charts, go here then click on scout and log in and make a poster, as it is called.

photos on explore, originally uploaded by sunshine's creations.
1. redwork butterfly signature block, 2. style d, 3. crazy daisies, 4. flower tutorial, 5. bubble gum pink quilt #1, 6. back side dove, 7. felt snow man done, style:christmas colors

boxes boxes boxes

I'm in the middle of trying to box up my home. We always use this type of containers because we move about every 2 to 4 years and just keep them and add to them each move. The reason is, these cost only twice as much as cardboard and we get to keep them instead of adding to a land fill. Also, after two moves they are the same price as cardboard; some have been through 4 moves already for us and 3 moves for relatives. If you look closely you can see my daughter behind them, smiling. The other good thing is, between moves some things get to stay in these like holiday stuff (red ones)and sewing room stuff (clear ones). These are the new ones for this move. I will probably need more, too.

boxes boxes boxes, originally uploaded by sunshine's creations.

Red Work Southern Belle

This is for a swap that I am late getting in the mail because of going to Vegas to see my sister and because we just purchased a new home and have been a little busy with that. This scan didn't come out very good.

Antique Lace

Over the years of thrifting and junking I have purchased lots of balls of vintage and antique thread. Every now and again I will find a piece of lace inside one of the balls. These have been tatted, crocheted and hairpin lace and a few knit pieces over the years.

Since I have been doing a little bit of tatting lately, I thought I would show you where some of the patterns are coming from. Some of these have as much as thirty yards on them, but most only have few yards.

25 Motif Tatting Callenge and Crochet

My family traveled to Las Vegas this weekend for a Golf Tournament and Baseball Tournament our children were in. Since we traveled by car, I had 6 hours there and 6 more back to tat and or crochet in the car. I chose tatting this trip for the car part. I worked on number 1 and 2 of the 25 motif tatting challenge group that I joined last month.So I only worked a tiny bit on the pink tatted piece, which is number one for me in the challenge. It went from 4 inches to 9 inches; not much improvement there, but since that was one of the last things I did, I'm not concerned about much progress. However, I plan to keep working on that one; I think it will end up being hundreds of yards by the time I finish it. It is size 20/2 thread.The second item for the challenge is done with the size 10 thread that was vintage and damaged. It went from 5 inches to seven yards and used up all the thread; now I have a nice piece of vintage looking lace that already has age marks.The third item was just to use up a scrap of thread I had. It only became 8 inches long, but this can be used in embroidery on crazy quilts. The pattern is simple 3 picot term 4. The pattern came from a scrap that was in a ball of thread I had purchased from a thrift store. It's funny; my scrap is smaller than the one I found, but I like it and consider number three done. It is size 80 thread.The fourth item I worked on for the challenge was also to use up scrap thread. It is size 80 vintage/antique tatting thread, baby blue in color. It worked out to be 2 feet long. This also came from a piece of tatting that was shoved inside that same ball of thread mentioned above from the thrift store. It is a variation on hens and chicks: the hens are *4, picot, 4, picot, 1, picot, 1, picot, 1 picot, 1, picot, 4, picot, 4 close ring, the opposite side is 3 picot term 4 close ring; the chick on the first side is 2 picot term 4 close ring, the opposite side picot is 3 picot term 4 close ring*: continue from * to *. This one is completed, too, with joins on first and last picot of each ring.I also started a fifth item in tatting; this is just a simple single-shuttle ring edging. ring = 4, picot, 4, picot, 1, picot, 1 picot, 4 picot, 4 close ring make joins on 1 and 3rd picots. This is in size 10 crochet thread vintage thread. I'm still working on this one. I have 13 inches completed on this.I also started another tatting project with pearl cotton in turquoise while traveling. This is a typical scroll pattern. (I made a mistake on this; one of the chains only has 1 picot instead of 3-- oops. This is only 4 inches long. Ring : 4, picot, 4, picot, 1, picot, 1, picot, 4, picot, 4, close ring. Chain: is 4, picot, 1, picot, 1,picot, 4. The joins are made on the first and last picot on the rings.
So, a grand total: 3 completed, and still working on number 1, 5 and 6.

While at my sister's I noticed she had a runner our great-great-grandmother, Maria, made. So I asked if I could copy the pattern. I made two little samples of crochet --two so that I can use this pattern at my home. The next-best thing to having the item is being able to say I made it using the same pattern my great-grandmother used. One is the outside edging plus corner, and the other is the inside insertion on the runner. Mine was done in a size 20, the original was done in size 30; I didn't have that thread with me, so I used what I had.

DO NOT USE THESE PATTERNS TO MAKE THINGS TO SELL FOR PERSONAL USE ONLY!!!!