Tag: scraps

Some Progress

One of the local quilt shops I frequent, sells scrap bags. I bought one of these $12.00 scrap bags. I like to try and see what I can make out of the bag, by maybe only adding a background fabric. I do like a challenge. For this I added the Royal blue from my stash. I am the crazy dog lady, so I hung this up in my hallway (there was an empty spot).

This has been my helper lately. One of the things that is wearing me out, is getting up to iron. I have had this tool for years and it was still in the package when I recently got it out. It has been helpful in flattening seams so I don’t have to constantly get up to item. I have really only been using it on small seams, but it does a pretty good job. It extends my sewing time a bit and at this point, I will take anything.

What Else?

I save all my scraps that are not big enough to do anything with. Then I make dog beds for Shelters and organizations that help pets. There is no point in putting them in the trash when they can be upcycled to something useful. I use a heavyweight cotton and put a zipper in each one. I put my scraps inside a trash bag, so they are easily removed and the cover can be washed. I have a couple laying around my house for our dogs and I donated these five to “Barely Used Pets”. Interestingly, I also receive monthly medication that needs refrigerated. It comes with ice packs and recycled cotton as an insulator. Of course I save all this cotton, tear it up and use it in the dog beds.

Happy Sewing

Happy Quilting

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I am still MIA

I don’t want to be missing, I just can’t find my way back. Recovering from this surgery and spinal cord injury is much harder than I anticipated.

There is name to my pain and it is hardware. This visual of my neck and all it’s lovely hardware puts that into perspective. On a positive note, I am back to my original heights of 5’9″ post surgery.

I think the part that is making this so difficult is the spinal cord injury. While I had some of the same issues before the surgery, my expectation was that these things would get better after surgery. While some things have, many have not. I did get most of the feeling back in my arms and legs, but am having a difficult time gaining any strength. I have very little stamina. So, I don’t sew much or in very small increments. This is very frustrating. It is my therapy and without it, I am not a very nice person.

I did make the gnomes. They did not take much effort. My daughter has claimed the pink one and named her JaGnome. JaGnome oversees her homework.

A Useful Tool

I have several binding tool makers that I never use. They are the metal ones that make binding like the premade binding you can buy at the store.

The one in the picture helps make binding like I make for my quilts. It is helpful because I don’t burn my fingers. It makes the binding that is folded in half. I bought an entire set of these on Amazon for like 6$. My local quilt store sold one (not an entire set) for 10$. They were all manufactured in the same place.

I would love to post more often, but I don’t have much to post, since I don’t sew that much at the moment. I know many of you understand that quilting is therapy (no one at my home gets it). Without it I feel a little lost.

Happy Sewing

Happy Quilting

Happy Holidays!

I hope everyone has a wonderful and safe Holiday season!

So, I have been very on and off with everything. It could be the “covid” brain. Unlikely.

ALERT Boring information below.

I have Rheumatoid Arthritis. I rarely talk about it. I like to pretend it is not part of my life because some how in my head I feel it lets me cope better. It has worked for a few ears with little things on and off as issues. I take super expensive medication that I am thankful I can afford.

About two months ago I started having what they call a “flare”. I had read about it, but dismissed it as people being whiners. You have something live with it move along. Well, it totally knocked me on my ass. My knees (which have both been replaced) felt like someone was pounding on them with hammers. My hands began to get numb starting at my finger tips. I have this stupid stress fracture in my foot. I had an elbow that would not straighten and the ruptured disks in my back were singing ( a totally rude song). I was so tired battling pain (pretending it did not exist) that I was exhausted 10 minutes after I got out of bed. My daughter informed me that I was mean and grouchy.

I had an MRI of my head to make sure my feeling tired and stupid was not actually related to a problems in my head. I was given some drugs for my back that made me feel like I was melting from the inside out. Three different ones before I said “no more” on that one. So, the rheumatologist added another RA drug to my cocktail and I had a little improvement. Not a lot, but the exhaustion now gave me 20 minutes before I needed a nap after doing anything. Went to a different doctor about my back who did not throw pills at me, which I was grateful for. She suggested a change in diet, avoiding all things white (white sugar, white flour, processed anything). There are many people with RA that suggest that some foods trigger RA or make symptoms worse. OK, worth a shot. So I cut out all sugar only whole wheat and no processed foods (this was the easy one since we had done a way with most of them a long time ago). The rheumatologist also upped the dosage on my new RA drug.

So where are we today… Better, not great. I still have a boot on my foot. I need an MRI and Christmas is right around the corner. I am no longer exhausted to the point I can barely function. I am still not myself and am concerned that I may never make it back to where I was. I now have a stool in the kitchen to sit on while I cook if I need to rest and while working (thank God form home), I don’t often leave my desk. I stayed up til midnight last weekend and we almost had a party. It was monumental. I am trying to break up larger tasks into smaller pieces (gift wrapping ugh). Before the holidays, Kevin and I always go shopping for last minute stuff for the kids. Last weekend we managed to do that. I did pay for it the next day, but it was worth it to feel normal.

Sewing/quilting is a challenge. Had several conversations at home and with dear Nanette, Lynn and Kevin. The consensus was just go do something. It doesn’t matter what it is, go do it. Ten minutes my make you feel better mentally and you would be surprised how 10 minutes here and there can help you accomplish things.

I did start doing that. It made a difference. I am less grouchy (only a little according to my daughter). It helped me finish the Christmas gift for my neighbor. It is surprising what you can accomplish with ten minutes here and there.

I am on vacation over the holidays. Honda shuts down. I am hoping to do some sewing and organizing. I have plans to do some memory quilts in 2021. It is jut very hard to cut into my parents and sisters cloths. Every time I look at the couple of Dad’s shirts, I start to cry. I know in the end the quilts will be appreciated. I even have plans to make one for myself. I have a long list of many things to accomplish this year, so I have to get much better.

The chickens – My neighbor loves chickens. I am hoping that she loves this for her table. It is cute and whimsical. I will say. that at the points were a giant pain in the butt. Not the 90 degree ones, but the other ones at the intersection of the red fabric. Such a struggle. They are not perfect. It’s still cute though.

I wish everyone the best Holiday season possible!

I will try to do better in 2021.

Happy Sewing

Happy Quilting

It’s Done…..ugh…

Done, quilted and bound.  Just did a simple meander.  The thing that bothers me about the quilt is the dark brown.  It just looks wrong to me.  I have another quilt top I made and I have a similar project with it.  There is a color that looks all wrong in it.  I can’t be to blame for this one, I did not choose the fabrics.  I am sure someone will like it.   I have not even opened the other charity quilt.  I will get to that later.  I am trying to work on the Weiner dog quilt top.

The problem I am having is that I started it a while ago.  I wanted it to be big enough to 20200421_140325put on a twin big, so I started making it bigger, but I did not write down my notes or can not found where I wrote my notes.  So, I am spending a bit of time figuring out what I did, which is annoying.

I think it is a great way to use up scraps though.  It is cute and I am the crazy dog lady.

So, I am on a two-week furlough from work.  Hoping it is only 2 weeks.  Hard to tell right now.  I hope you are staying safe is this crazy world.

Happy Sewing

Happy Quilting

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What day is it?

So I had every intention of participating in One Monthly Goal.  However, I can not keep track of days or dates.  Here it is April 9, 2020, missed it!  I swear I may be losing my mind.  It is like time has stood still in my mind because nothing changes, yet it is actually continuing.

I might as well tell you what my goal was.  My intention for the One Monthly Goal was to complete the top for a charity quilt.  My quilt guild had about 35 kits ready to pass out at meetings, yet we are not having meetings, so they volunteered to drop them off.  I said I would do a couple, considering I needed some motivation to actually do something.

Don’t care for it one bit.  The dark brown bother me.  The instruction I had for this quilt were crazy.  They were all wrong and totally goofy.  I am not a good instruction follower in general, but since this was not my fabric and for charity, I thought I should actually read them and follow them.  WRONG.  They were wrong on most counts, what needed cut, the layout, everything.  It still needs borders and I am hoping that makes it look a little better, but I am not very hopeful.  I am hoping this is meant for a man.

Mostly working from home.  I am getting better at that.  I get up early before everyone else gets up so I can get as much done as possible before they arise.  They are pretty good at not bothering me though, with the exception of the dogs.  “Hey Mom us up, let’s all sit on her.”

I hope you are all staying safe.  Happy Sewing, Happy Quilting.

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My Moka refuses to Social Distance!

80 Blocks done

So, I have been working on these blocks a little at a time for quite some time. I used to refer to it as the “I am mad quilt”, mostly because this was a quilt where I could just sit down for a long period of time and work on. So, when I got frustrated I would often sit down and sew for a while.

All the blocks need trimmed, and then we will put them all together. I do have a few duplicates, but not many.

I hope you are all staying safe. I am still working, but am expecting some sort of Announcement soon regarding work from home. The kids are out of school, and were bored the same day. All the kids birthdays are next week, so no going to dinner. I was taking Haley and her friend to Niagra Falls for the weekend, but we will have to change that. She will be sixteen and I am already co cerned about what I will do when she leaves me.

Happy sewing, happy quilting, stay safe

Interesting Pattern

This is a pattern I tested for Denise at For the Love of Geese.  I believe she calls it “Twilight”.  I am far from a good paper piecer, however, I love the way this one turned out.  I think I will eventually get the hang of things.  It is mostly fabric I had.  The only thing I purchased was the dark blue grunge border.  I think it has a lot going on.  The blues I used was leftover from a fat quarter pack I think that I got 20 years ago.

20191226_202833I am getting the hang of the longarm.  I still struggle a bit with tension, but I used rulers this time and it came out pretty good.  I am happy with my quilting.  It is starting to look way better.

I do not know what I am going to do with this quilt, I have no plans at this time.  I might just look at it for a while.

Happy Sewing

Happy Quilting

 

 

 

 

Trying to find my place…

I am lost in every sense of the word.

We went on vacation, which was good.  Some of vacation was for us (beach), then we met up with family.  My cousin and his family came from Germany.  I have not seen him in some time.  It was wonderful seeing them.

So for a couple of days, we went to Ocean City Maryland.  We had a great time.  I ate crab cakes and crab cakes and crab cakes.  I like crab cakes in case you have not guessed.

Then we went on to Washington DC to spend time with my cousin and my sister Karen and her family.  We had a great time there too.  But there was something missing.  My sister Kellie.  She was my traveling partner a lot.  Before we both married we had a really good time.  Even after marriage and children, we managed to sneak a couple trips in.  I miss that.  I miss her.  It just seems wrong.  I am wondering why I struggle so much with her death.  I have buried two husbands, but this one gets me.  I feel like I will never get over it.  I find myself not wanting to do anything, but I do.

Yes, you must suffer through my vacation photo’s.  I am even in them (I avoid photos like an allergy) LOL.

My spot at the Beach!
My cousin Holger, my daugther and me
The whole lot of us at the Spy museum!
The Capitol – Been years since I went to D.C.

Spy Museum (D.C.), Beach, Me, Haley (daughter), Holger (cousin) and the capital.

Oh, and the quilt.  So, my most wonderful friend Nanette, sent me a box that had some scraps and a few finished blocks.  I made this interesting table runner from it.  It is a bit Improv, but I do like the colors a lot.

Happy Sewing

Happy Quilting

Some awesome Quilting news…

The Uncle Donald Quilt goes to the Ohio History Museum, along with my grandmother’s.

What?  Holy Cow. 

Several weeks ago, a lady form the Ohio History Museum spoke at our guild meeting.  She talked about quilts up to about 1950.  I was not looking forward to this speaker, but it turned out that she was very knowledgeable about quilting and historical quilts.  In her presentation, she showed many lovely old quilts.  She explained that most of their quilts were donated and cam with the history attached to them.

When it was question time, I asked if they had any early quilts that were made by men.  She told me no they had never came across anything like that.  Once she was done speaking I showed her a photo of Uncle Donald’s quilt.  Right away she asked me if I would consider donating it. I would.  SO, she asked me to send her an email with any information I had.

That was easy.  I knew Uncle Donald, and he was one of my favorite people.  After he died I continued to visit Aunt Helen a couple for times a year.  We would go to lunch and talk about all sorts of things.  I often took her something I made when I visited.  Once time when I was there she gave me the “Uncle Donald Quilt”.   

I had no idea if he was illiterate.  My dad thought he was a pretty smart man, and I image her was, even if he was not educated.  I know my grandmother was, she was actually a school teacher at one point in her life, but boys became valuable farm hands and were often not educated past the 8th grade.

My Grandmother’s (Monnie) quilt

Uncle Donald had 8 sisters (one of them being my grandmother).  Since he was the youngest, he wound up joining in on the quilting.  He made his own quilt.  Aunt Helen thought I should have it, since he was my family. 

So I had all the provenance and sent her the information I knew.  She emailed me back information about my family after she researched them.  I had guessed the quilt was from about 1920, but was unsure.  I knew when my grandmother was born, but did not know that until Donald was born in 1907.  She thought that 1920 was pretty close because the 1920 census had listed him as an illiterate farmer.  He would have been 13 then and become a valuable farm worker and likely not had time for quilting after that.

So, my Uncle Donald Quilt will be part of the Ohio History Museum’s quilt collection, along with one of my grandmother’s.  Uncle Donald’s quilt will be the only one made by a man in the collection.

It feels very good to know that items from my family will be forever saved as part of a historical collection.

It takes about a year for things to be officially added to the collection along with filling out paperwork, but I am thrilled it will be forever saved.

Happy Sewing

Happy Quilting

An Ancient Alien—UFO

This is an ancient Alien.  Can you tell I am a Science nerd?  Yes, I have watched that show.  My daughter and I even have nick names for some of the people.  If you have ever watched it, you will know who Crazy Hair is.

I started this quilt about 20 years ago.  It was oddly a paper pieced project.  I obviously had no idea what I was doing.  I am not sure how a paper pieced project could have blocks so wonky.  I don’t think there are any 2 the same size.  I actually think I participated in a fabric swap for food fabric.  I still have a ton left, but I think it’s time to see if I can make a wall hanging that does not look too awful.  If it comes out, I have a spot in my kitchen across from my pantry for it.

This will be my One monthly Goal.  My plan is to complete it entirely.  We will see.  It may be to wonky to put together.  I also seemed to use a lot of starch back then.  weird.

If any of you need some pieces (maybe 5×7″) food fabric let me know.  I have a stack.  I was going to use them on the back, but just went with black.

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SISTER STORY

So, I have been having such a difficult time with the loss of my sweet sister Kellie.  It had affected me far more than I expected.  I know loss all to well, but this one is so very different for me.  Anyways….. I was coming home from the grocery store today…alone (very unusual) and thinking.  I had not dreamed about Kellie since she died. It bothers me a lot.  So, I talked to her and told her of my concerns.  I just wanted a dream, a sign, something.

I came home and put the groceries away.  I went to the family room and turned on the TV.  As I was sitting on the couch flipping through the channels, I noticed an odd flickering out of the corner of my eye.  I ignored it, thinking I was crazy.  It kept happening.  I turned and looked and one of a string of recessed lights was slowly going on and off.  It stopped, I looked away.  It started happening again.  I turned and looked at it and said “Is that you Kel?”  It blinked on and off quickly and then did not happen again.  I am not sure what I believe or if I am half way to crazy town.  Odd coincidence.  In the photo, Kellie is on the left and I am on the right.

Happy Sewing

Happy Quilting

Treasure your Family