Christmas Eve 2010

I wish to all of my friends a very Merry Christmas. Dick has been wrapping packages and placing them under the tree. I have been supervising and trying to stay organized. All is quiet at 'One Loose Thread' if we can just keep Rocky out from under the tree everything should be ok until Santa arrives.

Our children and grandchildren will be here bright and early in the morning for breakfast and to see what Santa left for them here. Then:

Opening of gifts and dinner with all of the Clyde and Flo Thompson children.Our spouses, children ,and grandchildren. What a day Christmas is for us. It was our Daddy's favorite time of the year and he always gave more than he should. The men in this family are all the same way. None of the guys want Christmas gifts, but, they always make sure that we girls have plenty. Of course the grandchildren make out like bandits. There will be plenty of laughter and surprises. Of course there are always some tears too as we remember those that we have lost and are no longer with us.

So, Have a Ho Ho Ho and don't eat to much turkey, dressing, ham and sweet potatoes. Read the Christmas Story. Say a few prayers for all of us that need them. Enjoy the after Christmas sales and remember: I only have FOUR MORE WORKING DAYS!!!!!!!

Repeat of Announcement

I am happy to annouce that I have Resigned. ( If anyone tells you that I have retired then they are not telling the whole truth). It is effective 01/01/2011 at 12:00 AM. I have worked in Dental Hygiene for over 40 years and have worked for Dr. Brown a total of 30 of those years. He has hired me three times (even though I am a Clemson Fan). We have had a long run, but the time has come for me to do something else. I hope to work as a 'relief' Hygienist in any number of offices over the next few years, as I have too much dental knowledge to just leave the profession.

In the mean time I will be building my longarm business and the fun part is that I plan to expand the 'Retreats". Yes, this will give me time to run the roads of South Carolina to find the perfect retreat spots for One Loose Thread to sponsor retreats.

I will really miss the patients that I have had for many years. We have all grown up and raised our children together. I hope that many of you will stay in contact with me so that we can keep up with what is going on.

Thanks again for your support and if you need a custom made quilt or an antique top quilted or just need to talk call me. Most of you have my number. Just know that I AM NOT RETIREING AND WILL BE SUBSTITUTING IN OTHER OFFICES, as needed. Call or email me if you need anything.

This announcement will post several times over the next 2 months.

Think Spring and Knight Bee

My Fabric Choices for 'Think Spring' Mystery

These are my fabrics. I am running some of the testing for Beth. This is going together so easily. Just as you would expect with a 'Beth Karr' design. I really believe everyone will like this one.

Cast of Characters

 Friends from Greater Columbia's Knight Bee gathered for our annual Christmas Supper. This year we went to Travinia's for the second year in a row. I think that this may become an annual tradition. Not to mention that the food was fantastic.

Some of my very best friends

We are working on participation in the 'Greater Columbia' UFO challenge for 2011. That reminds me, I need to get my list together. Wonder how many I can finish?

Kitchen Help

This is what I deal with when I try to cook. I have major testors in the floor. Try walking around without breaking your neck. They don't stay in one place, so you might turn around and not expect them to be there-------but-----they are.
Sure do love them both. All of those carpet strips are down so that Jake can get up and down. Otherwise he slides and can't get up. It doesn't look pretty but it does serve its purpose.

Did some Christmas shopping this weekend. Spent some time with the children and grandchildren. Did some sewing. Put a customer top on the frame and should have it finished by tonight. It is really looking good.

Tomorrow starts my next to the last week of work. The closer Dec.30th gets, the more excited I become. I am really glad that I made this decision. Some other offices have contacted me about working now and then, so I will be setting that up. I have a pretty good list of quilts to work with in January and February--always room for more. Plans for Spring Quilt Camp will take some time too. I will be taking Piper to Trenholm tomorrow since the schools are closed for the Holidays then on to the office.

Hope you all have a great week. Can you believe that Christmas is next Saturday?

Happy, Happy Quilt Top

This is what I have worked on this weekend. This top was not at all happy with what had been done with it previously. Now, I just love the way that is sings.  I have also posted this to the 'Customer Quilt' page. Have you noticed the different pages that are listed at the top of this page?  Explore the possibilities.

Now that I have finished this job I am going to sew the labels on the Christmas Quilts this afternoon. For now, I am off to fix brunch for Mr. OLT.

Have a great week.

Magic !!

This has been a magical day. First this elf Mr. OLT put new wheels on Olivia. I have felt that she was not moving properly since the beginning. These are the new EZ Glide Wheels that are available from Lakeside Quilt Company  . The instructions for installation were good, but, we did run into some problems that were solved by contacting people on the Gammill Yahoo group. These wheels are sooooooo sweeeeeeet. I can't believe the difference in the movement of the machine. I loved her before, but, I love her more now.

Then, would you believe!!!! Mr. OLT is decorating the Christmas Tree. He has not done this in at least 15 years!!!!!!! Has anyone seen my husband? If so, tell him not to come home, I like this guy better.  Mr. OLT has really out done himself today.

Now, if I could just get him to finish this project. He has left the tree with lights on only half of it and the lights are dangling down on the floor. He did not realize that he was going to have to 'shape' the tree as he placed the lights.  This is the small tree that I will leave 'put together' for the next several years. I only put up a large tree every 4 years and this is not that time.

I have a new top on 'Olivia' right now and I am putting a cute pantograph on it. I Love Olivia!!!! she is a very hard working girl.

Maybe more tomorrrow.

ANNOUNCEMENT-Repeat





I am happy to annouce that I have Resigned. ( If anyone tells you that I have retired then they are not telling the whole truth). It is effective 01/01/2011 at 12:00 AM.  I have worked in Dental Hygiene for over 40 years and have worked for Dr. Brown a total of 30 of those years. He has hired me three times (even though I am a Clemson Fan). We have had a long run, but the time has come for me to do something else. I hope to work as a 'relief' Hygienist in any number of offices over the next few years, as I have too much dental knowledge to just leave the profession.

In the mean time I will be building my longarm business and the fun part is that I plan to expand the 'Retreats". Yes, this will give me time to run the roads of South Carolina to find the perfect retreat spots for One Loose Thread to sponsor retreats. 

 I will really miss the patients that I have had for many years. We have all grown up and raised our children together. I hope that many of you will stay in contact with me so that we can keep up with what is going on.

 Thanks again for your support and if you need a custom made quilt or an antique top quilted or just need to talk call me. Most of you have my number. Just know that I AM NOT FULLY RETIREING AND WILL BE SUBSTITUTING IN OTHER OFFICES, as needed.  Call or email me if you need anything.

This announcement will post several times over the next 2 months.

What! My Vacation is Over??? No Way!!

I'm not real sure where the time went over the last week. If you know please clue me in. I also discovered that this is DECEMBER and Christmas is just a few weeks away.

It can be really depressing when your vacation comes to an end. Unfortunately, I have to go back to work in that other world tomorrow. You know the one I'm talking about? When was the last time you flossed?

This past week has been great. I quilted a large commission (double nine patches), finished my last Christmas quilt(all 3 need labels), did a lot of paper work for Spring Quilt Camp,spent 4 days at the beach with my sister,Pat, and finished binding 2 'love'quilts for Devine Quilt Guild. Oh yea, I also found the fabrics for the Spring mystery and met with 2 new clients, one for a new commission quilt and another with 2 tops to be quilted. Life is good.

Beth has finished the design for the mystery and now I am sewing (well I will be as soon as I get the clues cut out). She brought the finished top to me for the quilting and I will be starting on that very soon.

While we were at the beach Pat and I found some great things for Spring Fling. I usually theme the weekend and Saturday night revolves around that theme. A little friendly compitition also takes place. Usually some type of 'craft' item. This Spring is going to be the best yet. Can't wait for this!!

Hope you have a great week. I hope that I do too.

QUEEN OF THE BAPTIST FAN!!!!!!!

This is what I have to dodge while making the runs on the quilting. Lots of company, but, not much help. Jake doesn't move very well either, so getting him out of the way, well, lets just say it is easier to step over him.

The quilting has been completed on this quilt!!!! Yea!!! It only took me 10-14 hours total to complete it. I am sooooooo proud of this piece. It has turn out far better than I expected and I expected alot.

This is the back. Look at the definition with the quilting. I used 80/20 batting. There is more texture from the quilting than I expected. Just love it.

You really can't see the quilting from this picture, but it's there.

Now to decide what binding to put on. I think that I want a color---possibly the blue that was used in the nine patches. Or, maybe a pink for the little girl it is for. I don't believe that I will use the background fabric. Don't you think it needs the frame that the binding will provide?

 

Now to start Christmas shopping. No more quilting for the next few days.

Stay safe,