Another Lap Quilt

Remember when I was working on this http://sewingsandy.blogspot.com/2011/06/my-latest-quilt-in-progess.html?  Well, now it looks like this!

I love how it turned out.  This was my first real attempt quilting with pearl cotton.  It was kind of hard to sew with.  But I love the results!



I used different colors for the different color blocks.  After I quilted around each block with the pearl cotton, I used regular quilting thread to hand quilt through the solid squares.  It turned out really nice.  The quilting went pretty quickly.

It's the perfect size to snuggle under.  Now, if I can just keep my daughters from trying to claim it! :)



I'm the Mail Ma'am!

I have worked for the Post Office for 14 and a half years.  Eleven of those years I have carried mail.  Let me say that I love my job. 

I am proud to wear the uniform.  I love being on my own everyday and talking to my customers.  I have learned so much from the people I see on my routes everyday. 

This job keeps me in shape.  I walk anywhere from 8 or 9 miles a day to only a mile, depending on the route I am on that day.  The people on my routes are wonderful.  I love getting to know them.  You can learn a lot about people from the mail they get.  From the magazines they get to the bills I deliver. 

There are some things I don't like about my job.  I'm sure everyone has some things they don't like about their job, too!  I don't mind working in the winter.  I like the cold weather.  But the summers here in Kentucky are brutal.  The humidity makes it unbearable.  There is only so much water or gatorade you can drink. 

I guess what I dislike most about my job is the supervision.  We are not allowed to make any decisions on our own as to how to do our job.  We are never asked our opinion on the best way to do the job.  Someone sitting in an office somewhere makes all the decisions as to how we carry the mail.  That probably isn't unusual but it sure makes it seem as if our experience and opinions aren't valued.  During a meeting, it was mentioned that perhaps when making changes to routes consideration be given as to which routes to add more walking to because it is hard on our bodies over time.  We were told that the P.O. didn't care about our bodies and if we were having a hard time maybe we should consider a different career.

In spite all that, I still love what I do.  Can't imagine where I could work and get the benefits and pay I get without more education.

Happy Father's Day

My dad was my hero.  He taught us right from wrong, honesty, and integrity.  He taught us to always do the right thing even when the right thing wasn't easy.  When searching for a husband of my own, I wanted someone just like my dad.  He loved our mother and devoted himself to his family.  He was father to six children and was our father, not our friend.  He would discipline us and then tell us he loved us.  He was not afraid to show affection and showed to all he loved.  I am so proud to be his daughter. 

In 1995 he was diagnosed with esaphageal cancer.  Twenty five days later he died.  He was only 67 years old.  My mother was devastated.  He was her life.  They were married when she was only 16 years old, and were married for over 44 years.  A few years later she died of a broken heart at the young age of 65.  She's happy now.

Her and dad were proud of all of their children and taught us what a good marriage is.  I miss them both and think of them every single day.  Happy Father's Day, Daddy!

My Latest Quilt in Progess

I bought some charm packs from The Connecting Thread right after Christmas on clearance.  They were a real bargain.  I thought I would sew the squares together to form a large lap quilt.  I took several of the squares and cut them into fourths.  I then took strips of white Kona cotton and added it to all four sides of these to make them into five inch sqares. 

Now, I have always considered myself relatively good at math.  (My DH may disagree, when it comes to balancing the checkbook.)  But somehow, I really screwed up my math this time.  Each block I had constructed was about a half inch too big.  Each strip I had cut was two inches wide and should have been one and three quarters inches.  So I had to trim each and everyone one of these blocks that ended up five and a half inches down to five inches.  At least, I didn't make them too small!  Other than this little hiccup, I really like how this quilt is turning out.