Weigh-In Wednesday

I have worked out everyday since the first of the year on the treadmill.  I have also cut back on what I am eating.  Today is the first weigh-in since I started.  Today I weigh 192...I lost 4 lbs!  Not a lot, but it is a start.  I was not strict with myself on eating and I ate and drank some I should not have.  But I did walk a mile each day except Sunday.  My buns hurt so bad I decided I needed one break.  But I have noticed that I can walk the mile faster.  I have increased the speed I am able to walk and I have been increasing the time/distance that I walk.  Now for the measurements.  I really want to see the difference here.  Bust,  45; waist 39.5; hips, 45.75; thigh 24.25. No change on the top half.  I did lose 1/4" in the hips, and 1 3/4" in the thighs!  So I see I need to add some activiy for the top half.

I had hoped that changing the look of the blog would add the picture link back.  It didn't.

Have a great day.

My Weekend

I think I had a great weekend.  It was nice.  I did not have to take care of the neighbor's horses.  I got to spend a lot of time in my studio.  I got the sleeve sewn on Magical Fall Flowers so that it is ready to head out to quilt shows.  I feel like I did good on eating and I am determined to lose weight.  I am excited about the cruise coming up later this year.  I managed to to get one quilt kit cut out for the cruise.  It went a whole lot faster than I thought it would. I am going to be making my block bigger than what everyone else who bought the kit will be.  It is a bear paw block and it finishes at 8".  I think theirs will be 6".  When I saw the quilt teacher at Houston, she thought that the Star Singles the pattern called for was 2", but it is actually 1 1/2".  I bought mine from her so I have the larger size.  I have the fabric to be able to cut it out and I will be happeir with a larger finished quilt.   My quilt will be red/tan, their's will be blue/tan. 

I got the final payment for the cruise in the mail.  So now Jim and I have to decide what excursions we are going to purchase.  There are so many to choose from.  I will probably spend hours searching online for the different packages, etc for the trip.  And when I lose the weight, I will need to get clothes that properly fit so I will be comfortable and look great.  I clearred out my stack of magazines this weekend and in one of them I found an article on alterring your clothes during weight loss.  Stuck that aside.  Hope to be using it soon!

I just sent some feedback to Google so maybe they can help me with the image problem,  Have a great day.

I am having Blogger Trouble

For some reason, Blogger has lost the ability for me to upload pictures.  I am going to be researching and doing some trial/error stuff to see if I can get everything back up.  If not, then I will decide if I am going to possible start a new blog.  I have been getting error message when posting and then all of of sudden the button to add pictures from my computer disappeared. 

Not What I Expected

I have been looking at getting a Slice cutter since I first saw one at the Houston Quilt Show.  I have been trying to decide if I would use it often enough to pay for itself.  I do applique, but I haven't that much in the past.  This year I am going to concentrate on needle turn applique.  So I have been searching the web to get ideas for what all I could do with the Slice.  After I saw some paper projects on Pinterest I was pretty much sold.  But I didn't find out enough before the Black Friday sale ended, so I have been on the lookout for a good deal.  In the meantime, I started following their blog so I could stay up to date on info about the Slice and if they have another special.  I left a comment when they were giving away some fabric scraps.  I like to make miniature quilts at times and the fabric looked really cute (especially if that was what they would be sending) because it was something that I didn't usually buy.  Jenn contacted me and said she would send a care package.  I got it yesterday.  Boy, was I surprised!  I did not receive fabric scraps, I got a bag, tool kit and some crafting items.  I was very happy and surprised.  I had been looking at purchasing the bag and tool kit, but backed out at the last minute.  Now I am glad I exercised a little patience.  Now to go ahead and get my machine so I can start slicing.  I also have to have the hands free kit.  I will be checking at Amazon and the Slice website.  I was going to add a picture, but for some reason blogger is not giving me that option.  Maybe later.

Weigh-In Wednesday

I decided to start a Weigh-In Wednesday, although the first post is Thursday.  I did weigh in on Wednesday.  I am just going to put it out there, this is my record of my weight loss and will help me to keep on track for the goal...196 lbs.  I need to also measure up because although I want to lose weight, I really want to lose inches.  I walked on the treadmill for 1 mile yesterday.  Already I am getting better at lasting longer.  I also did pretty good on eating (or rather not eating).  Off to a good start.  Here are the measurements:  Hips:46  ; Thighs 26:  ; Waist:39.5  , Bust: 45.  We will see where it goes from here.  Lucky I can sew, so I can make new clothes as neccessary.

Applique is now moving along

I finally got one side of the applique on teh Log Cabin Baskets stitched down.  I did a machine blanket stitch around the edge of fused applique.  If I had the time, I would have done it by hand.  It is quite a chore stitching down and working/manuvering the queen-size quilt top.   I need to prepare a few more pieces and the bias vines so that I can lay out the left side.   Here is what it looks like so far.

Went to the fabric store in Canton and bought some fabric for one of the quilts I will make on the cruise.  I will start cuttng the kits this weekend.  I put on a big pot of beans so I will have my black-eyed peas today.  It is one of the 15 bean soups and I added salt pork and sausage.  It smells so good.  It will be great with cornbread.  It is hard to remember that this is Tuesday...it feels like a Sunday afternoon.  Now to get busy and put a sleeve on my quilt for the Jefferson quilt show and check and see about entering Dallas.

Happy New Year!

It is the beginning of a new year.  May your year be greater than last year.  May you accomplish more and receive more and prosper well.  I hope all have a healthy year and if you have medical issues that they are relieved.  I had a great Christmas.  I spent time with family in Waco and Dallas.  Here we are at Chuy's in Waco with his mom and sister.

We had snow on Christmas Day!  I can only remember that one other time growing up in  Texas.  We drove to Irving when it was raining and before we got there, it turned to snow.  We basically ate and left.  We did exchange gifts.  Here is the quilt I made for my sister.  She is holding it up.  I wanted her in the picture, but she hid from view.  I made a fleece throw for my nephews and one girlfriend.  He just purchased a house.  Both boys moved out from mom's and live together.

The gift that Jim and I gave each other was a treadmill.  We purchased it from his mother.  I has hardly been used and is like new.  We plan to exercise in the evenings, get back on a more healthy diet, and hopefully lose lots of weight.  I personally would like to lose 30 pounds by April.  At the end of the day, we are cleaning out the kitchen.  Any cookies, candy, etc will be taken to work for others to eat or throw away. 

I need to get back to planning meals and shopping lists.  It worked much better when I did that.  Not only on time and money, but we ate better.  Once again, I am planning on putting some changes in the routine and hope they stick.  I know it is important to spend time in God's word each day.  My mother-in-law gave me a devotional book, Jesus Calling that she really loves.  I am going to spend morning reading and meditating on God's word.  Jim and I plan to exercise in the evenings after we eat.  We don't watch a lot of TV, and what we do watch we like to record and then watch without commercials.  I have an applique quilt that I want to work on this year.  Hopefully I can do a block a month.  If possible, I would like to finish a UFO each month.  I like the idea of making a list of 12 and then draw a number and that is what you work on that month.

I entered a quilt in a quilt show.  I hope that they get the form in time and it is accepted.  I entered Magical Fall Flowers in the Jefferson Quilt Show.  It is in January.  I need to sew the sleeve on the back and get it ready to ship out if it is accepted so that they will have it in time.  Last year Jim said he wanted to go to a quilt show to see one of my quilts not everyone else's.  So this year it will happen.  I also plan to put in the Dallas Quilt Show.  I have been working on the Log Cabin Baskets.  I am not totally pleased with the applique, but it is getting done.  I find it hard to manuver the quilt top in the machine to do the machine stitching.  Doing by hand would have taken too long, so I decided to do the blanket stitch by machine.  At least it will be done.

I hope you all have a blesseed New Year's Day.