working on life support

this is the current work around

my laptop is sitting next to the desktop and I'm using it for all printing jobs since it CAN see the printer

so right now I can do almost all of what I usually do, but it just takes a little longer, switching stuff back and forth on a USB drive from one printer to the other to do printing

I haven't played with getting the scanner to work yet --- I was going to try that today, but I just got an update from the "computer doctor" about this whole "I can't see you" issue between Windows and some of the USP devices --- I'm going to try some other fixes that have been recommended

meantime I'm seriously contemplating how many books on Amazon and sales on Ebay of other household brick a brack it would take to score myself an entire new desktop tower

I'll think about it after I get everyone's taxes done
I have completed another redwood tree

this is the one that goes on the right hand side of the really big tree in the center

all the channels have been stitched, so today I will be able to start running the yarn inside them

when my sister was here on Monday she brought me several skeins of old acrylic yarn (old as in the address of the manufacturer does not include a zip code!)

this was obviously before they figured out how to make this kind of yarn feel like something you might want to have next to your skin

and it's somewhere between knitting worsted weight and bulky -- perfect for stuffing these trees!

how wonderful that my sister is willing to share when people give her stuff
this is the first of the turtle blocks that I did

he's pretty cool (there is still a need for a lot of embroidery work), but I don't think it will be a good think for a baby quilt

it's just too "adult" looking

so it will probably get turned into a pillow for my son in law instead (with considerable additional embellishment!)


I did find these very cool fabrics yesterday, and I think I will do the turtles in more of a "color book" style

sort of silhouettes in two shades for each one with some embroidery

simple -- more kid like

and in the process of having to reprint my pattern for the first block (since I cut up the pattern as I go) and not being able to use the copier function of the scanner (since we still have that whole "I can't see you" issue with it) I learned a new and tricky thing I can do with my printer and "User Defined" sized printing --- very cool!
the challenge fabric has been found!

trips to my two preferred quilt shops were unsuccessful -- neither of them had the Hoffman Challenge fabric (although each of them thought the other might and were more than willing to refer me to their competitor)

yesterday, just for the sake of expediency we went into the least preferred of the local shops -- and got a pleasant surprise

not only did they have the fabrics (not a big surprise actually), but they have an entirely new staff since my last trip in there, and it was actually a good experience

cool!

so, let the designing begin!!

time to get back to the taxes!