Hello strangers!

Just got on blogger for the first time in a year and a half! I spend my time now on the Missouri Star Quilt Company forum under the screen name, Jean Sewing Machine. I also post on YouTube under my YouTube channel name, Jean JellyRoll Queen. I have over 20 video tutorials on various techniques of sewing and quilting. I have an 8 part series on making different size quilts and household accessories using the jelly Roll race technique. I've made so many jelly roll race quilts that my fellow forum members call me the jelly roll queen. Jean the Jelly Roll Queen. I've done the math (even though I say I'm no mathematician) for making jelly roll race quilts bigger or smaller. I demonstrate the jelly Roll technique using 7 jelly roll strips to make a placemat size quilted project. I also have a tutorial on making tote bags with zipper closures, serger quilts for hospital charities, and am working on one with a personally designed pattern. I think I have the first two segments of that one on YouTube. I also have a multipart tutorial on making a padded carry case for iPad or ereaders. Some of the other things I've done over the past time away from blogger are: led a 4 day quilt retreat for my forum members, hosted an international quilt friend who attended the retreat, been to about 6 quilt shows in various parts of the country, made about 20-25 quilts for various charities, designed a special child's pillow called "Beddie Bye Book Buddy", it's a pillow with a small animal tucked in to a pocket on the front, with a book about that animal in a pocket on the back, made various bed size and large lap size quilts, bought and learned to use a long arm quilt machine, and enhanced my stash of fabrics to spill out of every closet, nook and cranny of my home! I also built and stocked a craft table with amazing hand made objects, it was moderately successful, but I sold almost $1000 worth of merchandise. I can't forget the 2 large cast and 3 small shows I costumed, which was the focus of this blog from the time I started it! I retired from teaching in Dec. 2012, and spent 2013 traveling extensively, I traveled over 21, 000 miles this year, airplane and car miles, including a wonderful trip to eastern Europe in November on a Viking River Cruise! That was really great, I recommend Viking if anyone wants a great vacation experience! Went to Disney world, Paducah, KY, Oregon 2 times, went to visit my son and family in Des Moines twice, went to Hamilton, MO. several time to the Missouri Star retail store, including the retreat event. Then the trip to eastern Europe, which we started our cruise in Budapest, Hungary and ended up in Prague, Czech Republic. It was just a wonderful and beautiful experience to see old world architecture and medieval opulence so well preserved! Lots of history in that part of the world! Hope to blog again on a regular basis! If there are any of my followers left still looking, I'm still here!