This is My World

Remember that quilt I was talking about when I was explaining what the finish on a needle is for?  The one that is a large flower on a yellow background? I’m done quilting it.  As soon as I get binding on it I will be posting a picture of it.  I actually stepped back from it today.  It’s gorgeous. 

So, in case I didn’t mention it, I’ve been sewing quite a bit lately.  As a matter of fact, I’e been making quilts to sell on Etsy.  If you are familiar with Etsy, my store is called Becky Morton Creations. 

Anyway, back to quilt making.  I’ve been working on a quilt that is a large flower pieced together in squares.  The green I used for the stem is a little thicker cotton than I’m used to.  I was using my grandma’s sewing needles that I’ve had since 2005.  I noticed they had gotten a little darker, but they were getting the job done.

So, I was quilting with this green fabric.  I had also used the same fabric on the back.  My arms were wearing out pretty quick, and I was getting frustrated.  A couple of days ago my dad brought over my step-mom’s fabric scraps and tools.  I found a place for everything and didn’t think anymore of it.

Yesterday, I was sewing on the stem of this flower, two layers or this green and the polyester batting.  My right arm started cramping up.  Then, it hit me.  Why don’t I try a new needle?

So, I pulled out one of my step-mom’s needles that hadn’t been out of the package yet.  I noticed that it was really shiny.  So, I tried it.   That new needle went through that fabric like a hot knife through butter.  Then, it hit me.  The finish on a needle truly does have a purpose.  It makes it easier to get the needle though the fabric. 

That was one of those, “Well, Duh” moments that I felt an obligation to share with the rest of the world.  So, if you’re like me and a concept like that is too simple to grasp, I hope this story makes your sewing a little easier.

 There’s this old amplifier my dad has had for years.  It’s made by Gibson.  They called it a Gibsonette GA-8T Tremolo.  The “Tremolo” refers to the pedal seen in front of the amp. 

In 1960, this Gibsonette GA-8T was bought brand new by a man in our area that was still in high school.  He just wanted to play at sock hops and such.  This man took really good care of this amplifier.  As young men do, he lost interest in music.  That’s when my dad bought it.

Dad took good care of it.  He didn’t really take it to the bars much, just to smaller jam session type places.  When he bought me my first guitar, he sent this amp to my house so I could have an amp to practice with.  We ended up switching and now I have a small Fender Amp. 

Well, Dad retired from playing music on my birthday this year.  That was in April.  Now, the economy is kinda tight. So, he’s trying to sell a few things so he can get a newer amplifier just to play at home and in jam session type setting. 

Where’s this Gibsonette GA-8T now?  Well, it’s on eBay.  I’m hoping the right person bids on it and takes good care of it. 

Do you have a short message you want to give someone?  But you want a unique way to send it.  Never fear, I have an idea.  Well, actually, it wasn’t my idea.  I just stumbled into it on eBay.

With the economy being tough and eBay auctions being a little low, a cartoonist and eBay seller in Georgia came up with a unique way to make a few extra dollars.  If you win the online auction, “Redneck Beer Gut Man” will write your message on his “Beer Gut” and email 3 JPEG views directly to your inbox.

Redneck Beer Gut Man says his beer gut is ”prime advertising space” and would be perfect for a marriage proposal, business card, or blog advertisement.

There are a few rules though.  The messages have to be in good taste, no offensive messages.  They also have to be 20 words or less to fit on the beer gut.  The color choices are red, black, green, or blue.

So, here’s to Redneck Beer Gut Man for coming up with a truly awesome and unique idea. 

Click here to see the auction.  If you have any unique ideas of your own, use the contact me page.  If I like it, I’ll write a blog entry about it.

I found it!  Rockin’ the Beer Gut, by Trailer Choir 

I was talking about it yesterday in my blog.  Today I found it.  Trailer Choir performing “Rockin’ the Beer Gut” at 12th and Porter.

I think it’s an awesome song that shows that women don’t have to be perfect to be “hot.”  This is good.  And my opinion is coming from a 20 something with a beer gut.

So this would be one of those random posts that one would wonder, “Where did she pull that out of.” If you are wondering that, I completely understand. 

Anyway, I heard a really awesome song on GAC a couple nights ago, while I was quilting.  It’s by the Trailer Park Choir.  I believe they call it “Rockin’ That Beer Gut.” 

The man singing this song is talking about how he thinks it’s hot when a girl is a little over weight and really doesn’t care.  The girl he’s talking about gets up on the dance floor and struts her stuff anyway. 

I just think it’s awesome that someone would actually write a song like that in a world where a woman is generally considered “hot” only when her body has a perfect shape. 

So, from a woman proud of her beer gut, thank you Trailer Park Choir for singing “Rockin’ that Beer Gut.”  It shows very well how confidence is more important than looks.

Either the stress of slowly starting my own business is starting to get to me, or I’ve had way too much time to think about my own way of life.  I’m not sure which, but here’s what’s on my mind today.

What are a human’s true basic necessities?

Well, I’ve come up with three basic things.  Food that’s safe to eat, water that’s safe to drink, and shelter to keep you safe from the elements.  So that’s food, water, shelter.

Sounds simple right? For some people it is.  If you can cook wild food over a campfire and live in a cave near a fresh water source, life wouldn’t be any simpler.  There are people who do it.  However, it would be trespassing if you were to find such a place on someone else’s land and fire is illegal during dry seasons in the National Forest. 

So, we’re back to owning or renting land for the necessity of shelter.  That requires money.  Money is something you have to work for. 

If you manage to work for your money within walking distance, you won’t need a car or gasoline.  Anything that close probably won’t have a fresh water source on it.  So, you’ll have to pay for nature’s most basic and abundant commodity.  After rent or mortgage, that’s bill number two.

Next, you will most likely have a neighbor.  Neighbors tend to be nosy.  So, if you don’t have electricity, it’ll become public knowledge and you run a chance of having visits from a social worker.  Not to mention most homes have electric stoves and many residential areas do not allow campfires.  There’s your third bill, electricity.

If you manage to find food somewhere or grow it yourself, good for you.  That’ll save you a grocery bill.  If not, that’s bill number four. 

It’s amazing how life’s basic necessities can be so complicated.  At one point in ancient history humans lived in caves near fresh water sources and knew what around them was safe to eat.  And now, many Americans think the only safe food to eat is in a grocery store.  Therefore, we come almost to crisis over the near collapse of a financial system that only serves to complicate life’s basic necessities: food, water, shelter.

My whole life I’ve heard people say, “When life hands you scraps, make quilts.” I didn’t understand it when I was growing up.  Now, however, I do. 

As many of my readers already know I haven’t actually “worked” since February.  I’ve been scratching every corner of the internet I can find for just a dollar or two here and there.  I’ve sat on the computer for a couple hours then lay down for a half an hour.  I’m not laying down to be lazy either.  That actually relieves some of the pressure on my back and lowers my pain level. 

This blog so far is the least successful of my ventures, but that’s okay.  With the 30 or 40 visitors everyday, someone is reading what I really think.  That’s what’s important. 

Anyway, I’ve been busy lately.  I’ve listed stuff on eBay that I wasn’t really ready to part with yet, but really needed the money and the memories are in my head.  

Tomorrow, I’m gonna clean up a Gibsonette Tremelo GA-8T to list on eBay.  The original owner bought it to play at sock hops when he was in high school.  After I called Gibson customer service to get more information on the amplifier, I realized it had to be purchased between 1958 and 1962.  The customer service representative said that’s when they made the GA-8T. 

I would have had it listed already, but I was finishing two quilts to put in my new Etsy store.  I call it Becky Morton Creations.  So far I have 3 quilts listed.

“When life gives you scraps, make quilts.”  I can’t sit up long enough to hold a regular job.  I’ve hired a lawyer to deal with Social Security.  In the meantime, God gave me this gift to make quilts.  I’m trying to use that gift to work around my disability. 

Have you ever come home to a giant wiener in your garage? That’s basically what happened in Mount Pleasent, Wisconsin.

See, I’ve always wondered how the drivers of the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile were able to see out of a giant wiener.  Now, I have my answer.  Apparently, they can’t. 

The driver of this particular wienermobile was attempting to turn around in a residential driveway.  She thought she was backing up, but instead was going forward. Consequently, she crashed the wiener into the garage.  The garage hole was too small for the wiener to fit. 

Fortunately, Oscar Mayer’s insurance will pay for damages to both the house and wiener.

Wow! I’m going to be honest here.  I have no idea what happened anywhere but my house today.  It’s not that I’m being lazy.  I agreed to watch my boyfriend’s nephew.  He’s only two but he’s a real good kid.  Then the preteen that stays here was babysitting his nephew, who is almost two.  So there you have it, two toddlers and a preteen. 

I would have loved to step back and let the preteen help me out.  However, every time I did the toddlers started fighting.  My trailer has an open floor plan.  So I should be able to walk into the kitchen to cook dinner.  Even though I could see them from the kitchen, every time I went in there they started fighting over toys and hitting each other.   Just so you know, one toddler will listen to a preteen, two toddlers will not. 

Not sure how I did it, but I managed to get pork chops and green beans cooked.  As soon as I ate, I was able to sit in the living room.  As long as I was in there, they weren’t fighting over anything.  Now to find my mind before going to bed.

Lately, I have been working very hard trying to get quilts ready to sell.  My goal is to be able to sell baby quilts online.  After studying the idea, I have decided that making some ahead of time would be beneficial for me.  It would be like getting a head start.  I have settled on Craft Mall as a venue to sell my quilts.  However, I have yet to create a store.  My goal is to open up by August 1st.  This means I’ll probably have to average about a quilt a day until then. 

I’m fine with one quilt a day though.  Making small quilts is something I enjoy.  Also, not being confined to knowing who it is for, has added the benefit of creativity.  I can now make what I want and they have actually turned out better.  I’ve got a lot of tops made, I’m waiting on a shipment of batting to actually quilt them.

If you are interested in what I’m doing, keep reading, and I’ll keep posting about it.

                                   -Becky

Well, I just finished reading the news at CourierPress.com.  There was a Dramain Buford arrested for trying to stab another man, Antonio Hanger, in the eye with a screw driver.  Apparently, the two men were arguing over a woman.  Mr. Buford missed Mr. Hanger’s eye and actually stabbed him between his left eye temple. 

Men have had scuffles over women since women were given the right to choose who the marry.  However, this is the first time I have heard of an attempted eye stabbing.  So, I thought I would share it.

Have a nice day!

I’ve been promising to get a recent picture of my rose bush.  So, today while I was out in the yard with my nephew I took a picture of it with my cell phone. 

As you can see it has yet another bloom on it.  This one is actually prettier than the other two.  There are also seven or eight other buds on it. 

So, I have yet to determine what is so hard about growing roses.  If anyone has specifics I should look for, please feel free to let me know.  As of right now, just letting it grow has worked wonders. 

My plan for today was to take a picture of my rose bush and share it with you.  However, mid-western weather is highly unpredictable.  Today, a thundershower decided to roll through.  Of course, my camera is not waterproof.  Never fear, I will write a something to post today!

The only other thing on my mind is an idea I had.  Just because I’m a nice person, I make quilts for people when they’re about to have new babies.  The closer the parent is to me, the more detail will be in the quilt.  I’ve noticed that there are some baby quilts that I have managed to make two in one day or more.  So, my idea is to try selling a few. 

I did a google search and found www.craftmall.com.  It’s similar to Ebay except that it specializes in crafts and there’s no bidding, just a price.  Rather than charging per listing they charge per month based on how many items you sell.  I was hoping maybe a few of my readers may have some information on this site or may be able to direct me to similar sites.  If you do, please leave a comment. 

Thank you and have a good day.

Here’s another easy recipe that tastes just like pizza.

You will need 3 whole grain English muffins cut in half, six slices of tomato, and some shredded cheese.

You lay the English muffin halves in a baking pan open side up.  Place a slice of tomato on each one of them.  Then, spinkle cheese on each one.  Put it in the oven at 350 degrees farenheit until the cheese melts and browns a little.

I would warn you to let it cool some before biting into it.  The tomato will be hot.  Honestly though, it tastes just like pizza.