UFO Conversion

I have come to the realization that the primary reason I have so many stubborn UFOs hanging around is because I have ceased to like them.  It's hard to devote the time to finishing something you really don't care about.  I first blogged about my black/white/red quilt back in March of 2010.

First I decided the red batik I chose for the sashes and border had too much black in it.  Then I thought that the stripes looked boring.  In an effort to save the project and avoid wasting the fabric, I bought a brighter red batik.  Then I decided to take the strips apart and turn them into 4 patch blocks.  Today, I completed the top and like the results.  When it's finished, it will be traveling to Romania as part of the Hands 2 Help Challenge.  The colors are more vibrant in person, but it was too gloomy outside to take pictures today.

I still have lots of strips left over to make another quilt with.

My Baby is All Grown Up

I've been having computer issues with photo retrieval so I haven't been able to post my happy news.  My baby (the Viking Princess) is all grown up.  She graduated from college on May 27th with a major in Psychology and a minor in Computer Science and has now joined the ranks of the unemployed.  She's pictured here  with the President of the college after the Baccalaureate ceremony the day before graduation.  She was one of the student speakers at the Baccalaureate ceremony and I sobbed so loud I could barely hear what she was saying.

We were not able to take many pictures on Graduation Day.  It was very hot during the LONG ceremony and the area where my daughter was sitting was in direct sunlight.  After the ceremony she didn't feel well so we gave her the opportunity to rest and cool down.  We got a few shots before the day was over, but not nearly enough to make me happy.

Her college adviser told her it was better to work a year before applying to graduate school so that she could be sure of the area of psychology she wanted to specialize in.  Unfortunately, she neglected to advise her where the job would come from.  

Last week, she  interviewed for an assistant teacher position.  She was cheerfully told that if she didn't hear from them in 2 weeks, to give them a call since they received over 500 resumes for the position.   While she was at the school, there were 2 other young women waiting for their second interview.  Both of them are already attending  graduate school so the competition is tough.

This week she felt positive about a phone interview she had for a psychology research assistant position that is exactly what she wants.  She won't know if she is in the running for the job for at least a month.  They are still waiting for the grant to be funded.  A summer research position she was offered was reneged when their funding was cancelled.  The job market is really frightening.  People with Master's degrees and Phds are competing for entry level positions.

She has great credentials and attended one of the top Liberal Arts Colleges in the country, so hopefully there will be something on the horizon.  In the meantime, it's great to have her home.

Halloween In June

Sorry, these items have already been given away. I will be having another giveaway next week.


Jana over at Adventures of a Cross Stitch Drama Queen  is encouraging quilters to work on their Halloween projects in June rather than later in the year when everyone seems to get busy.  I think it's a great idea.  Unfortunately, I don't have any Halloween projects ready to work on at the moment.  I do, however, have some Autumn/Halloween panels that I bought as part of a "Panel Surprise" sale bag from the Fat Quarter shop a while back.  They are calling out from my fabric closet and begging to be released.  If you would like to celebrate Halloween in June by making something with one of these lovely panels, please leave me a comment and I will mail you one.  Sorry,  I will only post to the US or Canada.  Please make sure you are not set as a "No Reply" blogger, if you are, leave your email or I will not be able to reach you.