Tag: Quilts

I could have waited a year…but I didn’t

Sometimes, life gets in the way of life. That is the only thing I can say. It has been nearly a year since I have written a blog post. There are a host of reasons. I haven’t stopped quilting. I don’t think I would ever stop doing that. It is likely the only thing that keeps me sane.

This quilt top was made during the guild retreat. It was a lovely retreat back in March. Much fun was had by all. It is a lovely design by GE Quilt designs named KIRA. Looks complex but super simple.

This was a wintery table runner I did. I liked this, except for the end where there are 2 od the same snowflakes together. Poor planning on my part there. I did the sections separately. Did not work out as planned. Oops. Still pretty though.

This is my Kite quilt. It came out cute. It has some shirt 3d kite tales. The back has grey fleece, so super soft. This was just me entertaining myself. Nothing special and I did not have anyone in mind when I make it.

I finished this quilt that I started so long ago and gave it to my sister for her 70th birthday. I had actually hand sewn a few of these blocks together

My quilting Godmother, Nanette sent me a few orphan blocks (purple and white) along with a half yard of the purple and I made as many additional as I could. This will be a donation quilt to one of the Guilds charities. I hope to get it on the long arm this week. On the list, but we will see.

There are many other things that I have done. As I find picture I will share.

The Non-Quilting stuff

It’s been a year. If you don’t want to read this nonsense, feel free to stop and move on. A very wise person tells me to write stuff down. So, I am. Not sure if I am supposed to share it or not, but some I will, some I won’t.

So many changes this year. I spent a long time recovering from spinal surgery only to learn there are quite a few things I will never recover from. I added another auto immune disease to my list of stuff that totally sucks. I turned sixty. Not a whole lot different from 59, honestly. I said goodbye to a 10 year relationship that I should have said goodbye to 9 years and 10 months ago, but I didn’t. More on that later.

I am a widow, twice and honestly it totally sucks. Once was bad enough, but come on, twice. The second time, he was my person. the one you read about in the romance novels. The one you think only exists in fairy tales. It can’t be real. That kind of thing. He was someone that looked at me, not the outside, but me. To him I was the most beautiful woman on the planet. Well, that is how he made me feel anyway. He did not see what I saw when I looked in the mirror.

So now what? I read dark mafia romance novels and dream of him. No, he was not in the mafia, but all these books talk of tall, chiseled men with tattoos, which he was. Funny, I never found tattoos even remotely attractive and used to get mad at him every time he got another one and now, I find it extremely attractive. Odd. It is all very confusing to me. I want him back. I miss him. It makes for sad days and nights for sure. More quilting is needed.

Happy sewing

Happy Quilting

Ho hum.

Look what I got!

I got a Handi-Quilter Simply Sixteen and a little foot frame.  I am so excited.  I have wanted one for a long time, but I find it so hard to spend money on something I want.  I constantly think about the fact that I still have a child to educate blah blah blah.  The household consensus was “you really need to do something for you”.  SO, I got crazy and did.

It was super easy to set up. I was off practicing my quilting in no time.  The hardest part was adjusting the tension.

Now I am afraid to start on one of the many tops I have waiting.  I will have to bite the bullet and do it.  I think I will likely start with one of my ugly quilts.

More to come.

Tomorrow is that day.  The day I lost my sweet sister Kellie.  While it huts every day, that day is a reminder that I would rather not have.  I have to go to the office, which I am not sure is a good thing or a bad thing.  Hoping it keeps my mind occupied.  If nothing else, at least it will be just me, hiding in my office.

Happy Sewing

Happy Quilting

Treasure your Family

2017 Q4 Finish Along – Can I do it All?

Well, I this is new to me.  Seems like a really good idea.  I have had much success with the One Monthly Goal.  I am hoping that this one will give some extra incentive to get projects done.  I have ambitiously put 6 projects on here.  Yikes!  I hate to lose, so I hope I can get them all finished along with the 10,000 other projects I will start along the way.  If you are interested in Participating, Please go to She Can Quilt.

So, for Quarter 4 I am going to finish the following:

20170905_203052_resized#1 Flannel Baby Quilt – Needs quilting and Binding.

 

 

 

 

20170813_185057_resized (1)#2 Safari Baby Quilt – Needs quilting finished and Binding

 

 

 

 

20170816_193127_resized.jpg#3 – The Ugly Quilt – Needs quilting and Binding.  Jeez, I hope I can stand it.  still Might have to change something on this in order to tolerate it.

 

 

 

20170702_182615_resized#4 Zipper Quilt – Needs quilted and Binding.

 

 

 

 

20170310_094411#5 The Fourth and Final Dog Bone Dresser scarf.  This is an EPP project and is partly pieced.  I am so tired of these, since it is the fourth one I have done.  Ughhh.  The last one is taking forever.

 

 

20170511_184141#6 – Table Topper that has been laying around for quite some time.  Needs borders, quilting and binding.

 

 

scan q

Happy Sewing

Happy Quilting

#2017FALQ4QuiltingNeeds

Finally got Caught up on my Free Quilt Blocks, but lack inspiration

I really like this quilt.  I think it might be because I love Orange Fabrics.  I never feel like any shop has enough Orange Fabric or it is because Red Rooster Quilts gives me the fabric for free.  One block every two weeks.  It is not just for fall or Halloween.  My daughter Haley actually likes this quilt.  That is a surprise since she usually has something negative to say about my quilts.  This is a quilt I will keep for me and hang up somewhere in the house.

Been feeling a little uninspired lately.  I have many many projects started, but don’t feel like working on any of them.  I have like 4 quilts that need quilted, laying on the pool table, multiple other projects started.  Yet, I just stare off into oblivion.  I usually have more time on the weekends to work on my craft, but I always get a pile of things ready for during the week, even if I only have a few minutes, I usually sit down and sew some of these things, so they are ready for the weekend.  The pile is still sitting there untouched and then there is Block #6 for I wish you a Merry Quilt Along.  Need to get that done.  It does not look to hard, some piecing, some applique.  I will get to it, eventually.

Happy Sewing

Happy Quilting

I love seeing this

So the local quilt shop to me, Red Rooster Quilts, is having a tent sale today and tomorrow.  They are selling all their quilt and quilt tops tops and had them displayed along the fence.  It is just a beautiful site.

I bought nothing.  How crazy is that?  I am trying very hard not to buy things I don’t specifically need to complete something.  Although that rarely stops me.  Since I am in the shop a lot because it is about two miles form what I work, I had already seen most of the stuff they were selling at the tent sale in the store.  It had been discounted for a while.  Nothing called to me, so I just picked up my free bi-weekly quilt block and wandered up and down viewing the quilts/quilt tops.

Just wanted to share the beautiful photos and make sure any of my local Columbus friends were aware that there was a Quilting Tent Sale.  Have a great weekend!

Happy Sewing

Happy Quilting

Finally, some time in the sewing room…and some Quilting I don’t hate.

20170211_112954_resizedI actually completed something.  The English Paper Piecing Dog Bone Hexie Dresser scarf is complete.  I even went as far so to clean off my dresser and put it in its home.  Three more to go, but they are all smaller pieced.  Two for nightstands and one for the tall Dresser.  Overall, I enjoyed English paper Piecing.  I had never done it before and started it when my Daughter had her accident.  For weeks I was at the hospital and this gave me something to do in the ICU.  It was quite a while until she was able to talk, so it was mostly sitting there listening to machines.  I am really glad for that to be over.  Much easier to deal with when you have something to occupy your mind20170211_113029_resized and hands.  I just about have one of the nightstand scarves done also.  As for the quilting, I don’t hate it (like usual).  As I mentioned in a previous post, I would choose a different marking method (Not the clingy plastic wrap).  The dog bones I quilted actually resemble dog bones.  How about that.  Shocking.   It might lead me to get more adventuresome with my quilting.  Who knows.

I also completed some Uncle Donald blocks.  Since these are scrappy, there are memories that go along with each one.  For me, that makes this more enjoyable to do.  As I piece these, I take a trip down memory lane.

So for my Uncle Donald Blocks, I have “Becky’s Block”(my niece).  This was made from the scraps from her college graduation quilt.  It was a picture quilt with many photo’s of her growing up.  Addison’s Block (Addison is actually Becky’s daughter, my Great-Niece) are scraps from her baby quilt.  It was charm squares and I chose not to use any that had dark colors since I was making a baby quilt.  The Crazy Dog Lady Block is totally mine, since I am the crazy dog lady.  These are scraps from many dog fabric blocks. Then we have Derrick’s block.  Derrick is my later husband whom I miss dearly.  He always wore camo.  Sometimes I had to ask him to wear something else.  He always made me laugh.  Only the good die young.

udHappy Quilting

Happy Sewing

Treasure Your Family

 

Finally, some progress…but what a pain

So, I finally was able to work on a bit of quilting.  However, things did not go as planned.  I never like my quilting.  I wanted something very specific for my Dog Bone Dresser scarf, mainly Dog Bones, duh.  So, I decided to use that sticky saran wrap “Glad Press and Seal”.  There were good things and bad things about it.  So, I don’t exactly hate the quilting.  Dog 20170128_205041bones actually look like dog bones.  However, now that I am done with the quilting, I am pretty sure I have spent more time picking out that “Press and Seal” wrap than I actually spend quilting the entire piece.  The other part was that while doing the quilting, I found that the “press and Seal was not easy to re-position.  Once you start quilting and compress your quilt sandwich, I found that the “Press and Seal: needed adjusted and it was not possible.

I put the entire design on, including sqiggely lines.  I found it difficult to follow.  Most of the time I did my own squigglies until I got to the dog bone.  Then I follow the pattern.  I have three other pieces to make for our bedroom.  I think I will make a dog bone template and use a Frixion Pen.  I don’t need a template for squiggely lines.  That I have under control.  The hands are getting better, so hopefully I can get back into my routine and be less cranky.  If anyone has had luck using “cling Wrap”, I would love for someone to tell me why it was so difficult and if there is an easy way to remove all that plastic.  I am curious how everyone else marks their quilts now that I becoming more adventurous with my quilting.

Happy Quilting

Happy Sewing

Treasure your family

Struggling Snowflakes

20161124_124600_resizedI made this table runner for my own table.  I usually don’t make much for myself, but it seems odd to be a quilter and not have quilted stuff all over your house.  It is an interesting batik and I was not appalled at my quilting this time.   When I did the quilting, I was sort of thinking/going for snow drifts.  It came out all right.

The snowflakes are not struggling.  I am guilty of that.  Basically I have been feeling like crap and am sick of it.  I have two conditions that are currently competing with each other in my body.  For years I have had something called Dopa Responsive Dystonia.  For me, it basically means that I have the worst Charlie horses all over my body.  Medication had solved about 90% of it until the Rheumatoid arthritis reared its ugly head.  So the drugs for that cause the dystonia to be a zillion times worse.  Like I actually have cramps in my jaw (awful) and my tongue (imagine how that looks and sounds when talking).  I spend a lot of my free time at work, hoping no one notices that occasionally my arm shoots across the table without warning and begins contorting, which often causes tears to run down my face.  They attempt to solve this with powerful anti-seizure drugs that I don’t want to take because they can be very addictive and when you have to take them around the clock.  It makes a person wonder.  Then there are the two doctors, the rheumatologist and the neurologist, who don’t really want to talk to each other, they just want to prescribe more drugs.   Yesterday I was at the neurologist and pretty much begged him to talk to the Rheumatologist.  Just got a dumbfounded look and an offer to write him a letter.  Really?

Actually discussed with Kevin last night if I should just stop taking everything, because I am not sure much is helping.  If you want the Rheumatoid to be better you have to screw with the dystonia drugs.  It is a no win.  My only saving grace is the inexpensive hot tub Kevin put in the garage for me.  It is really the only thing that helps. I find myself in it 2-3 times a day.

I know I should just stop feeling sorry for myself.  I just don’t want to always feel like crap.  On a positive note, my daughter Miranda is doing well after the accident.  Working on therapy.

Happy Sewing

Happy Quilting

Treasure your Family

So Many Things to be Thankful for…especially Monnie and the Wool Coat Quilt

I often forget how lucky I am.  Sometimes, getting caught up in the day to day img_03301activities of life makes you forget a few very important things.

I am still here.  For this I am grateful.  I have a beautiful, healthy and smart twelve year old daughter.  I still have Miranda, which at one point in time not too long ago, I did not think I would.  She hobbles around the house today.  For this I am grateful, even when she gets on my last nerve.

I have Kevin, who in his very own way is a very kind man, who looks out for all of us.  He was most certainly my rock during Miranda’s accident.  Lately he takes care of me when I don’t feel so well.  Currently I struggle with Rheumatoid Arthritis and Dystonia.  They don’t go well together.  But, it will get sorted out, eventually.  Kevin son’s Bryce, who is cute as can be and such a helpful sweet boy.  I miss him when he is not with us, but grateful when he is.  I can’t imagine what it feels like not to have access to your child at all times.

I am grateful for my three sisters, even though we sometimes we get off track.  I am hoping to see them all at New Year’s this year, so we can work on getting things back to the way they used to be, or as close as we possibly can.

These photos are of a quilt that my sister Anke has.  It belonged to my Grandmotherimg_03321 Monnie (Uncle Donald’s sister).  She was one of my most favorite people and the reason I sew today.  This quilt is made of old wool coats.  Imagine how warm it is…  The history.  I wonder who wore all those old wool coats?

A big thank you to my sister for sending me the pictures.  I remembered seeing it, but it had been a long time and brings back the fondest memories of Monnie and reminds me of who I am.

At 52, I have already said goodbye to two husbands, both my parents and a couple of dear friends.  It is a lot.  Sometimes I think it is too much for me.  But then am I reminded of all those that are still in my life.  For this I am grateful.

Happy Quilting

Happy Sewing

Treasure your Family

I totally stole this from Lynn

So, my friend Lynn and I are going to a Quilt Retreat a week from Saturday weekend in Amish country.  Yeah,   A little getaway after a long couple of months.

So, I stopped by Lynn’s the other day and her awesome family had got her the most 20161019_212129_resizedawesome birthday gift to haul sewing machine and quilting supplies around.  So, I ,copied and went and got one myself.

I have to say, remembering my last retreat, where I hauled a bunch of plastic crates of stuff.  Add the fact that I have been recently diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis.  Yup, I  needed one more thing.

This thing has room in the bottom for your sewing machine.  It has a giant case for supplies and tons of room for Fabric.  And, it is on wheels.  No lifting pulling dragging all that heavy stuff.  I bought it at Lowe’s.  $79.99, well spent.

So, My daughter, Miranda came home from the hospital.  She still can’t walk, but we are getting there.  Thanks to those that follow her Page.  Some day I will be normal again (whatever that is).

 

Happy Sewing

Happy Quilting

Treasure your Family