Follow up to weight gain is not inevitable

Not being a diet/fitness blogger, occasionally I blog about diet and fitness because it is very important to me. In reference to my post title, I did a post two years ago about weight gain and diet here. At that time, I had lost some weight from 150 lbs. to 130. Now, after taking a few runs at it, I am now down to 125. Five pounds doesn't seem like much, but it is. If you are measuring by underwear size, it is one size down. Ultimate goal - 120. 

I began lifting 5 lb. free weights when I turned 40. I had no interest in having "gramma Tami" arms. You know, the upper arms that have flappy loose skin. I am happy with my arms and my legs, now it is the core that needs attention. 

I also chose to go on a restricted diet related to my gall bladder. The word "restricted" seems a little harsh, I have tried really hard to cut down on fried foods and beef. 

As an aside, I also had clickety clack knees. As I have lost weight, there is less of that pressure on my knees, carrying extra weight too much for my frame. Less clickety clacking. 

Segueing to sewing - it is National Sewing Month! If you are on Instagram, I am participating in the prompts from Thrifty Mum for #SecondHandSeptember as tamaschen. 

I also found a Facebook group the Up-cycled Cloth Collective that features all sorts of creative ways to re-use textiles. 

September is in the air

1968

September means a respite is in sight from the summer heat. At least another month of uber hotness. October can be a warm month too in the Sierra Nevada mountain range but at least you can feel fall in the air. 

I went live with 8 more listings on Ebay, mainly textiles and some costume jewelry, items I had at the house. I haven't even cracked into the collection I have in storage (did I just admit to that?). I don't pay for a storage unit (that wouldn't make any economic sense). These are items I have at another house where my adult children live. I so admit I am a hoarder in recovery. 

I am feeling better about my WIPs and fabric stash. I have slowed on buying remnants. Thrifts shops are pricing fabric closer to retail, so why buy it secondhand? Back to my WIPs, other than the scrap fabric, I have 10 project bags. Eight reside in the basket, the others are the atomic starburst quilt and my daughter's quilt (must be next!). 

There is some satisfaction in pairing things down. I will admit I can go overboard in getting rid of things. I pulled two poetry publications from my last round of listings. I had listing regret. 

Just when I got rid of one leaders/enders project, I inherited another. Half off at hospice meant the 8 ziplock bags of 2-1/2" precuts were only $1.25. Can't sell them so I will keep them for awhile. It is nice that they are precut. If I ever advance into a business related to quilting, I would invest in a fabric cutter. 

So glad fall is approaching. Cooler weather will mean my attention will turn back to the greenhouse.  

Fresh blackberries/grapes and a hoarder in recovery

Had to lead off with this image of freshly picked blackberries and grapes. I got myself in gear this morning to pick blackberries before the heat wave, then made a blackberry pie on the BBQ.

I was going to wait to list more stuff on Ebay, I am highly motivated right now so I will ride the wave. I don't know what changed in my mind when I turned 60. Maybe it is dreams of travel, it is definitely the desire to be debt free. Had some expensive dental work performed last year that threw me off too. 

My resell listing focus will be fabric, quilt kits, a sampler, and some jewelry groupings. They will be priced to move quickly. My goal is 10 listings, as of this post, I have 4 live. 

Quilting away on composition quilt. Pairing down my projects yet again. Asking myself, "When can I realistically complete this?" or "Can I resell it?" I had been collecting Asian-inspired fabric but have lost interest in that type of quilt. I will see if it will sell as a bundled lot. 

At first, I regretted buying this $4 bag of precuts. After I saw what I had, these can be made into cornerstones or some even piano borders. 

You get spoiled when you find so much for so cheap, like I did last weekend. Those finds have already been listed for sale. 

I picked up this counted cross-stitch for $2.49. I had returned to the same Goodwill, hoping for the big find again but settled for this never-opened craft kit. If it passes the "Tami likes it" test then I will either keep it for myself or resell it. 

You can see it is a tug and pull with me. I sell some things then buy others to replace them. Let's say I am a hoarder in recovery. 

I Accept the Title as Ultimate Lazy Quilter

More about the pins at the end of the post and before we get to my post title, it is my Blogiversary this week! Eight years with this blog, two years with a starter blog, ten years blogging. As technology progresses I am sure new platforms will emerge and become popular, even so I still love blogging and reading blogs. 

For a quilter who doesn't really like piecing or quilting, I received a gift from the Thrift Gods. On my 4th and last stop of my thrift shop junket into Placerville, Goodwill came through with this zippered bag from mystery quilter priced at $7.49. I could see some stitchwork, fabric and quilt blocks peeking through so I knew I couldn't go wrong. 

It was a treasure trove because hidden in all those textiles was this vintage girl's full slip. I remember wearing something similar to that when I was a child. Made me gasp when I saw it.

The reason for my post title is I take great delight in putting together quilts from orphan blocks. This mystery lot means I have enough for two projects, there are 9 feedsack blocks, and 8 red blocks, 3 red/white&black blocks, and three other random ones. Score!

Oh, but we are not done yet! There was also 10 of these completed bear cross-stitch blocks and a nearly complete cross-stitch bear pillowcase (I will finish that as a keeper). 

Finally, a pink sampler. 

Earlier in the month, there was another Goodwill find of this needlepoint kit, a mere 49 cents. My interest has been renewed in this craft. I completed a few kits some *coughs* 20 years ago. I have been working away on a magnolia needlepoint I started in February of this year. I was hoping for completion in December, but I may have to push that completion date to February 2020. 

I made progress on composition quilt I began last year. Thought it was near binding stage, but NO. More quilting required. It was intended as a California State Fair entry, I may enter it in 2020.

Cotton candy colored
orchids

Matchstick
quilting

Those pins pictured above, I thought I would take a chance on resell, one being a tie bar from an Apollo launch in 1969. After this round of resell listings expire, I am planning a brand new batch to list perhaps the beginning of October. 

Linking up with emsscrapbag.blogspot.com for Moving It Forward and Cynthia at quiltingismorefunthanhousework.blogspot.com for Oh Scrap!

Thrifting on National Thrift Day

This past weekend, I found the usual suspects for me, a Hawaiian print dress, some Christmas CDs for my annual Countdown to Christmas. There was also a book on specialty seed beading (a craft I did in the 70s). 

I have splurged on 925 silver jewelry recently with this week's purchase of a turquoise necklace ($24) and last month another silver necklace with multi-stone inlay ($30). 

Picked up this "growhouse" for $5. It was an easy put-together, just missing one small connecting pole and the cover. I'll see if the Mr. can fashion something for the pole, so I can complete the kit. It is perfect for starting seeds. 

Nearly finished the OBW grad quilt! Top is done, I just have to add bright batik added to cat-themed backing. Am kicking around the idea of doing another 9 patch similar to the one I just did for me for my daughter's Spice it Up fabric collection. 

The Mr. expressed his preference for quilts queen-sized and larger. Making the smaller quilts was good practice but I have to agree with him, larger quilts seem to be more useful. 

Reselling update: Quilt kits and fabric continue to be the best sellers. Mailing out the lighthouse batik kit this week. 

Novelty Fabric Quilt

The best image of the top included my feet, with the back patio being the only shaded area. 

Sometimes you've got to take more than one run at a project. My first attempt included decidedly orange fabric. Marrying remnants  is hard enough, I had to break out the seam ripper.  

I also cut the fabric down to match the 8" blocks I had on hand. My favorites of the remnants included in this quilt are the Fifties-themed dancers, the blue/green atomic and the martini glasses. 

I am delighted to have found a longarmer whose services I can afford. This one I sent to her. I held out for quite awhile trying to quilt all of my own creations. That only frustrated me because I couldn't do the fancy designs I really wanted. It has freed me to concentrate on piecing.  I am trying to use my current stash. The only fabric I purchased retail for this one was the surfboard flannel in the backing.

I also made great progress on the OBW for the H.S. graduate. The VW Beetle novelty print was my go-to fabric to add length and width to the partially-completed quilt top (a steal at $1.50 thrift). I then had to hoof it down to another thrift shop where I had spotted a cat-themed fabric print for the backing. I didn't buy it when I first saw it because it is not my style but perfect for this cat-loving relative. I'm adding the denim print fabric as borders. 


If you are going to buy fabric, hide it adequately (see this post).

Hope you are having an enjoyable August. We are suffering through another spate of 100 degree weather. 

Linking up with Kelly at www.myquiltinfatuation.com for Needle and Thread Thursday and Wendy at wendysquiltsandmore.blogspot.com for the ~

Alteration of the Torrid Skirt

A surprising by-product of trying to perfect patchwork piecing, my clothing alteration skills have greatly improved. My first find at Goodwill was this size 20 Torrid skirt. 

Since it is all cotton, I saw the possibility of an easy alteration from a size 20 to size 10.  There was a side zipper, so I took it in at the side. The hem didn't match because extra fabric had been sewn in the back. The lining is also a cotton so I trimmed up a few inches of that and finished the seam. Yeah, it just needed to be shaped up. It was missing the hook to the eye and that was added. It looked so much better after alteration, trimming and ironing.  

Not pictured in my thrift shop haul were two records by the Dave Clark Five, two pieces of a Noritake stoneware pattern and a glass juice pitcher.

Goodwill fabric finds were the best of all - a prepacked kit of two small quilts, an opened package of yardage from the Fat Quarter Shop, a bit of appliqued material with a silver thimble and some thread.

Coming up is the Nifty Novelties hop featuring novelty fabric prints. I have two quilts I will feature, one complete and an update on the H.S. graduate quilt.