Replies

1. 
   Crazy K | May 31, 2007 04:44pm | #1

   Ohhhhh... I can't wait!!  Hope you get it to work.

   K

1. 
   MaryinColorado | May 31, 2007 04:53pm | #2

   retrying.  oh! now they're too big, sorry.  How do you shrink them?  That's Mom, she's 81.   Mary

   Edited 5/31/2007 9:59 am ET by MaryinColorado

   
1. 
   Crazy K | May 31, 2007 05:09pm | #3

   Oh Mary.........that is GORGEOUS (yes, I'm yelling!)!  I'll bet your mom loves it.  Very nice photo of her and her quilt.  Lovely lady.

   As for reducing, my photo program asks if I wish to make my photos smaller when I send them and I always click 'yes'.  I get pix from some of the kids that are way large and hard to view so I save them in 'my pictures' on my computer and then they seem to be samller.....................not at all sure how that happens!!!  I work with Windows XP and not sure if it's that part or the Sony software that came with the camera.  Boy!  Am I not a wealth of info??  ha ha  Sorry, I'm  not the most computer savvy person on earth.............  I think if you read one of the threads from some one in the notes to Amber about pix profiles for members, someone explains (maybe Cherrypops) how to reduce...............that's the best I can do for help!!  Someone will come to your rescue though, I'm sure.  Lots of talented folks out there!!

   Thanks for posting that...........lovely.  Makes me want to go start a quilt.......and I'm not a quilter.  I keep thinking it would be a fun project to attempt someday though.

   Kay

1. 
   MaryinColorado | May 31, 2007 05:25pm | #5

   Thank You so much!  It was a very fun project.  I am not a quilter either, though I have made a few baby and child sized quilts, nothing with all that piecing or that large.  It was definitely trial and ERROR, especially getting the embroidered squares lined up right. 

   I was in a slump and had a major sewing block because of fitting issues.  It was refreshing to do something totally new.  I gave away my tiny dressform and need to buy a new one.  Now I hope to create some slopers and try to make some clothes that actually fit this fifties figure.  (Now I  know why they call it "middle aged", it's all about the middle!!!)  Never realised that gravity had such an effect on the human body, lol.....though Mom is still very slim so that's probably not even a good excuse!  Mary

1. 
   Crazy K | May 31, 2007 05:51pm | #7

   Isn't that 'gravity thing' awful??  I turn 60 this summer and I'm not liking the effects of sixty years of gravity on this 5'1.5" frame......... (yes, that's is one and ONE-HALF inches......gotta count every tiny bit, ya know!).  I've gained weight, lost tone and yep, it's mostly around the middle!!  I do carry weight all over to some extent which makes the old arms too large, legs too large................well, everything is too large!  It maybe wouldn't be so bad since I'm only a size 12-14 but I have such a small frame........teeny, tiny bones so it makes me look way 'fluffy'.

   Your convertible sounds fun!!  I have a sun-roof in my car.......the closest I've ever been to owning a convertible but that's fun when it's nice outside.  Your motorcycle ride sounded fun, too.  We've been out planting and re-doing a part of our yard.  It is getting pretty now with all the blooms and the fragrant lilacs just finished and now the peonies are starting.............

   With all the garden time, I'm afraid my sewing room sits idle.  I must do something to remedy that!! ha ha

   K

2. 
   MaryinColorado | May 31, 2007 06:18pm | #9

   Ha!  The motorcycle ride was wonderful, but I discovered it is easier to get on, and be on, than to swing that leg over to get off!!!  Had to practice a few times to get the body mechanics right! 

    The convertible is so fun, especially when young studly men pull up next to me to flirt and discover an "older woman",  he he, lots of blushing on thier part and giggles on mine!  The kids call it a "transformer" and love to push the button to raise and lower the top. 

   I am 4'11 and 1/2" now and also very tiny boned so boy, can I relate to the fluffy aspect.  I am also a size 12 and have serious fitting issues!  Hope to tackle pattern fitting as soon as I regroup from the trip.  Mary

3. 
   Crazy K | May 31, 2007 09:10pm | #11

   Hi Mary,

   Your post sure gave me chuckles........a couple of times.  First with the leg and getting off the bike.  I'm sure that would be an issue for me and I'm fairly fit for an old broad......ha ha.  Daycare duty, walking with the kids and running after an occasional escapee keeps me moving.

   The second chuckle was the convertible and the 'studly do-rights'!!  Isn't it fun to be old enough to play and giggle at things like that?? 

   I'm also glad I'm not the only short, fluffy person with fitting issues.  It is aggravating and as I told DH recently.  Now that I'm older, settled and have the resources to buy nice, well-made stylish and feminine clothes and accessories, I'm too chunky to wear most of them!!  Things that fit often make me look even more round than I am!!!!  I am determined to get busy sewing more for ME and try to get at least a couple of patterns that fit and are also kind of slimming.  Too many times I end up looking like a pumpkin!!  Where's my Fairy God Mother?????????????

4. 
   MaryinColorado | Jun 01, 2007 06:40am | #14

   Our fairy godmother's probably had a hand in our present "form".  After all, fairies are known for thier pranks and sense of humor!!! 

    Today I had my hair all cut off short and "shattered".  I don't know if that word refers to the new multi colors or the cut, which looks like I've been driving around with the top down too!!!  DH and DD love it, I'm still adjusting to the stranger in the mirror with no more gray roots.   Mary

5. 
   Crazy K | Jun 01, 2007 02:45pm | #17

   I wear my hair short but I normally don't color.........very little grey and what there is is silvery and kind of pretty.  I have had it frosted, highlighted, etc. and like it but my hair grows so fast, the treatment has to be re-done so frequently!  I have tried (the gal at the salon actually did it!!) the spikey, windblown look and it looked o.k. I guess but I didn't like all the goo in my hair that it took to hold it.  Guess I'm just fussy!  Also, when the back is sticking straight out, it means no naps in the recliner without crushing  my 'do'!! ha ha LOL  Maybe your new 'do' is even shorter.  I see lots of gals with ultra-short hair and I like it!!  I wear hearing aids and they're the big and bulky behind-the-ear kind so I like to have some hair left at the sides to kind of camouflage the 'hardware'.  Guess maybe I'm just being vain.  Maybe one of these days I'll tell the gal to just cut it off..........

   Enjoy your new 'do'..............less fussing with hairdos means more time to SEW!!

6. 
   user-217847 | Jun 01, 2007 07:03pm | #19

   Hi Mary, I to have recently had a major chop, I've never been considered normal always  outside the box I've done some rather radical things to my hair over the years, never follow trends just do what comes to me on the day. 6 weeks ago candy striped red pink and white  looked fabulous. This time chopped short my curls and purple and white stripes. We all need to do things to remind ourselves that we are still here.Try something outrageous every now and then it's exhilorating.

   regards and happy stitching

   wombat

7. 
   Pattiann42 | Jun 01, 2007 12:24am | #12

   Great embroidery!  I think I would put it out so all visitors could see it.

   Don't let the gravity thing get you down (no pun intended) ....... just remember the boob song when you need a laugh.

    

    

    

   Edited 5/31/2007 11:12 pm ET by spicegirl1

8. 
   MaryinColorado | Jun 01, 2007 06:46am | #15

   Thanks for the kudos, it was a challenging and fun project.  I really enjoyed it and am now ready to tackle the fitting issues that were stealing my sewing bliss. 

   You mean the song about "throwing them over the shoulder?" 

   When life gives you lemons....stuff them in your bra! 

2. 
   Crazy K | May 31, 2007 05:15pm | #4

   Hi Mary,

   Go to 'pics to profiles - Amber Alert' and scroll down to find rubyminky's thread regarding photo sizes.  I didn't fully understand it but maybe you will.  It was a bit 'over my head' in terms of technological stuff!!   I am finally familiar with my system but others get lost in the translation!!

   Maybe that will help you.

   Kay

1. 
   user-217847 | May 31, 2007 05:42pm | #6

   Hey there Mary,                                                                                                             oh well done you, it's just beautiful. As for your mum she's a good looking lady, leaves me well behind and I'm a lot younger whats her secret? I hope you are proud of your achievement,  soak up the praises again well done.

   regards and happy stitching,

   wombat

1. 
   MaryinColorado | May 31, 2007 06:05pm | #8

   Thank You for your kind words!  As for Mom's "secret", she never sits still!  My niece relates it to Physics, a body in motion stays in motion, a body at rest, stays at rest....Mom is an amazing lady!  Unfortunately my body likes the "rest" part...Mary

2. 
   VKStitcher | Jun 04, 2007 10:37pm | #21

   That's a beautiful quilt--I love the floral prints and embroideries.  I know your Mom loves it, too. 

   "a body in motion stays in motion, a body at rest, stays at rest...."  How true!  Makes me think of a little lady in our community, Miss Patty.  She's 96, still lives on her own, plays cards regularly with my parents & other friends (who are all MUCH younger!), quilts by hand, and makes the best chocolate cakes!  Any time someone says "Let's go...", she says "Let me get my pocketbook!"  Miss Patty's father lived to be 100, her aunt (my great-grandmother) lived to 98, and my grandfather was 93 when he passed on.  They all were very active throughout their lives.  I'm just on the verge of turning 50, and with these genes I hope I can keep on moving for a long, long time!  :-)

3. 
   MaryinColorado | Jun 05, 2007 06:42am | #23

   Thank You so much for your kind words!  I really enjoyed the entire process, from embroidering the designs to finding those fabrics that I thought fit her personality and preferences.  I redesigned the quilt 3x till it seemed right as it was my first "real" quilt.  She was so happy with it, she requested pillow covers to match.  It made me feel so happy as she never asks for anything!   Mother did beautiful handwork until a few years ago due to vision issues.

   These senior citizens sure have alot to teach us!  I wish I had spent more time asking my grandmother about her history.  We know the basics but there are so many aspects that even her two daughters still living don't know.  It is a shame.  I did inherit my love of sewing clothing from her, she could hold up a piece of cloth and create beautiful tailored suits and coats that fit like a glove.   Wish I had learned how she did it.  The photos of her creations are a treasure.  She tried to teach me drawn threadwork, hand tatting, and crocheting but I don't remember much of it.  Maybe one day I will take a class in her memory. 

   God bless You and Your Family! Mary

3. 
   Josefly | Jun 06, 2007 05:02am | #24

   Beautiful quilt! The colors and fabric prints set off your embroidered squares quite nicely.

1. 
   MaryinColorado | Jun 06, 2007 05:28am | #26

   Thank You!  That means alot coming from someone as experienced and knowledgable as you!  I couldn't find any quilt binding even at Wallmart in Ill. so I will redo the bias binding with a pink or raspberry when I visit this fall.  Mary

4. 
   jatman | Jun 28, 2007 10:15pm | #33

   Beautiful quilt, Mary!  I love the embroidered panels!  Your mom looks like she likes it, too!  Very nice job!

   JT

    

1. 
   MaryinColorado | Jun 29, 2007 02:24am | #34

   Thank You!  Who knew you CAN teach an old dog new tricks!  I discovered that I really enjoy quilting.  I have done a tad here and there for babies and children, but this is my first real quilt that I really spent alot of time on designing and finding the perfect fabrics with roses and birds and victoriana.  I was so relieved to finish it and that she loves it. 

   I believe the next effort will be crazy quilting with lots of embellishments, maybe for a vest or jacket or?

   I never really cared for home dec sewing or quilting and all that measuring.  It seemed tedious.  Guess I'm evolving....

2. 
   dionna | May 31, 2007 07:35pm | #10

   I think I got it right to post pic I had to add more to my pc to get it to work ok here they are the pj's by the way I love the quilt from Mary.

   
1. 
   MaryinColorado | Jun 02, 2007 04:04pm | #20

   darling pj and bag set!  Mary

2. 
   VKStitcher | Jun 04, 2007 10:43pm | #22

   The pajamas are too cute--and slippers to match.  Nice job!  I bet she can't wait to go to a slumber party and show off her new sleep set and matching bag.  :-)

3. 
   Josefly | Jun 06, 2007 05:03am | #25

   Nice work. Thanks for sharing your photos.

4. 
   MaryinColorado | Jun 10, 2007 07:24am | #28

   Thanks Dionna!  Hey those pajama sets are so cool!  Bet she loves the fabric!  Did you have a pattern for the slippers?  too cute

1. 
   dionna | Jun 12, 2007 11:58pm | #29

   Thanks mary they loved the fabric yes the silppers have a pattern the pattern I was a mccalls 4320 I also made a smaller set but I did't take a photos the other one is for a 3 year old I used 3 diffrent patterns I did not use one for the bag.

5. 
   Minnie63 | Jun 28, 2007 08:02am | #32

   Too cute, love the slippers!

1. 
   dionna | Jun 29, 2007 08:41am | #35

   Thank you

3. 
   Cherrypops | Jun 01, 2007 02:31am | #13

   Re-sizing Photos:

   I am using windows xp

   I save photos in My Pictures

   double clicking photo opens up Microsoft Photo Editor

   I view photo in Microsoft Photo Editor

   Click on Image in top menu, click on re-size in drop menu

   Click on arrow under units then change cm to pixels

   Change numbers in Width to 480. You will see the height change automatically to 640.

   Click ok.

   Back in My Pictures, I rename file to say 'beaches 480x640' I don't delete my original file.

   Hope this makes sense to you and you are able to work it out.

    

1. 
   MaryinColorado | Jun 01, 2007 06:48am | #16

   Thanks for the tip, I'll try it.  Mary

1. 
   Crazy K | Jun 01, 2007 05:18pm | #18

   Hi Mary,

   If you have a moment today, check out the 'stitchers showcase' in Emblibrary.  There is a beautiful patriotic wall hanging.......and a very very pretty quilt.  Just thought you might like to see those.......and no, I didn't do any of them!  Just have to admire all the talent out there.

   K

4. 
   stilltheone | Jun 10, 2007 07:03am | #27

   Thanks so much for posting the pics. Wow! That is an absolutely gorgeous quilt.

5. 
   solosmocker | Jun 25, 2007 03:04am | #30

   Mary, just got a chance to see these on a non dialup computer. Mom is a doll and her quilt is great. Thanks so much for sharing.

   Dionna, great outfit and print!

1. 
   MaryinColorado | Jun 28, 2007 07:11am | #31

   Yes, I call her an antique little girl!  She is precious, I am so glad I finished it and got to deliver it for Mother's Day.  She is thrilled and will get shams and pillowtops for her July birthday.  I have alot to do this week!  Mary