Good-Bye to 2018; WELCOME TO 2019 !

I'm so looking forward to 2019, and for several reasons!

1.     I hope to get back to quilting again on a more regular basis in 2019.  I've not accomplished as much in 2018 as I would have liked.  I have a few unfinished projects I need to finish if for no reason but to get them out of my way and off my (unwritten) list.  I have plans for a new project that I really want to get started on!  It will be a totally new experience for me, and I can hardly wait to start it.

2.     I want to get my house de-cluttered in 2019, and that will not be an easy task, but I AM going to work on it.  Simply put, I have too much clutter and just stuff in every room, and I'm determined to get rid of a lot of it, even if it takes me all year!   I'll tell you more about that along the way.   I started last Friday, and you would not believe how much sheer junk I got rid of from just two dresser drawers.  I also boxed up several nice things that I haven't used in a while, nor would I in the near future,  to donate to the Paralyzed Veterans group, who have a truck route for pick up that comes down my street; much easier on me than having to haul the stuff to somewhere!  Someone can surely use a lot of it.

3.     I just have to get my health and physical condition in better shape.  No, I don't mean a diet, though that would probably solve some of my problems!  I'm mentioned that I have difficulty walking because of the strokes, and then Vertigo decided to give me problems.  That is getting better, but I still have a tube in my ear for medication injections, just in case.   I need to get past that.  Then the recent MRI on my lower back indicated semi-major problems that may be affecting my legs, but I'm not a candidate for back surgery, so spinal injections will be done, beginning probably in about 10 days.  That's scary to me, but the doctor assures me I will get to feeling much better fairly quickly, so I'm willing to try it.

4.     Immediately I must get all these Christmas decorations put away.  My son will be here Tuesday to get storage tubs down from the garage, and also help me put all the water globes back up on the high shelves in the utility room.  However, before that can happen, I must get all those AA and AAA batteries out of everything that talks, sings, or moves, and I MUST do that tomorrow, New Year's Eve!  (I'm tired already!  My hands will be aching for sure when that's done!)

Why would I decide to tackle all this stuff at once?  Well, if I were to die before I get it all done, my kids would not like having to dig into the messes in this house, where there's probably more fabric than money in the bank!  I think most of you would understand that last part!

I had said I wouldn't leave the house again until next Sunday, but I will have to go to the post office tomorrow to mail those thank you notes I got written today for all the nice gifts I received from family and so many friends! 

 By the way, I played the offertory at church today and got through it just fine, though this old 80-year old lady was a little nervous.   I played "Eternal Life", or you may know it by its first line, "Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace"; it has such beautiful music, and the words are so meaningful.  (If you aren't familiar with it,  you can hear it here .)  Of course, my piano solo music was a different arrangement from the accompaniment in the video, but I just wanted you to hear the words.   I did not know the pastor's sermon topic, nor did he know what I would be playing, but it tied in perfectly with his year-end sermon.  Proof enough to me that God knows what He's doing!

Well, I've rattled enough for tonight, and I'm about ready to go to bed.  Hopefully I'll get all those batteries out tomorrow, and maybe pack up those three large figurines off my sewing machine cabinet at least, and maybe a few more.  I think I can pack up most of the larger pieces that store in closets in the house by myself, but I'll leave the garage storage stuff for my son.  I'll go slow; it may take me several days, but I really want to get the most of Christmas tucked away before they start those injections in my back, on the 10th I think.

Wish you could be here to help pack it all up!

HAPPY AND PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR TO YOU IN 2019!

---"Love"

More Progress toward Christmas! All done but the Cooking and Cleaning!

BEWARE!  THIS POST IS PHOTO INTENSIVE!

I had thought I would skip through Christmas without dragging out many of my decorations, but hey, it's almost Christmas, and I just couldn't stand it!  So........I did it!  Well, most everything is out; a few things are missing, but I love going by each decoration to punch the button and hear it sing or talk, or just play Christmas music.   So many of them remind me of the one who gave them to me.   Thanks to my son for getting the big tubs out of the garage, and helping me get the water globes off the top shelf in the utility room!  I was able to get the tall figurines from the top of a bedroom closet myself.  Putting batteries in all those things took a while.  My grandsons did that for me in times past, and I got to learn what a pain that is!  Now I'm realizing those batteries all have to be removed after Christmas, but it just wouldn't be Christmas at my house without all the glitz and glitter, and SOUND!  (Yes, I know; I'm just a crazy old woman!)  But if you could be here, you'd love it all too I'm sure!

You've seen it all before, but I want to share some pictures from this year.  A few pieces have been rearranged from times past, and some are in exactly the same places.

From my living room:

Double click to see details better.

Closeup of the sleighs, which are cookie jars.

(Angel's skirt is clear, not silver; dome covers manger scene; light reflection problems.)
Lighted box says "All is calm; all is bright." 

Gold  Santa checking his list from my neighbor;
Keyboard cover fabric from Ruth of Country Log Cabin Quilter; I hand quilted it.

From my den:

Corner of my den with my piano, which has five pianos on it,
along with two manger water globes, and of course, Santa!

Close-up of one end of piano
Notice the little angels got their letters mixed up
My younger son always did that, so I still do.

Other end of piano

"Mr. Christmas" Mouse and piano on music stand by my piano.
When someone walks by and breaks light source, he starts telling them to
"put a song on the piano and I'll play it for you", and he does.
12 songs are on the little chip music cards in racks on the ends of piano.
This is one of my favorites!

I made the appliqued "Christmas Chickadees" wall hanging in 2004; won 1st place in a show, if you can believe it!
  No, I didn't make the quilt on the love seat; bought it at Penneys.

The gold boy is playing a horn, and the girl has her hands over her ears!
Son No.1 gave me the gingerbread house and gold lighted tree.

Manger Scene bought in 1978

From my bedroom:

Five manger scenes and angels

A friend from 1st grade gave me the two prissy little ladies
 (tree decorations),  and they fit perfectly by my two tiny pianos.
They make me laugh every year
I love my white Santa too!

Tiny tree and packages on my jewelry cabinet.
Crocheted cutwork piece 'rug' from long ago.

Hanging on my bedroom door

From the hall:

Little tree quilt hanging, made by same friend that gave me
the prissy ladies by little pianos
Quilts in cabinet made by my mother and my aunt.

Closeup of my bear bands on top of quilt cabinet;
quilts made by my aunt in late 1930's

From my sunroom:

;

My favorite nativity scene, I think.

Daddy was a postman 44 years; so I had to  make this one several years ago.

One of my favorite panels. 

From the hall bath:

A couple of others I missed along the way:

Hangs in hall on a closed door..

Only new Christmas quilt this year!  I love that picture of Santa in guest bedroom.
My son helped me hang this quilt.

For an  old crippled lady, I guess I've done okay to get all this up by myself!  I could never have done it if my son had not gotten all the tubs down for me, from closets and the garage!  Believe it or not, I didn't get everything out, nor did I show you all that is out!    As I've said before, I'm just a crazy old woman!

There is one thing I didn't get a closeup picture of that I want to share.  It is a small heart-shaped placque that looks like a wood carving that says, "I will honor Christmas in my heart and will try to keep it all the year!"  Sometimes that's hard to do, but I do try really hard to do that.  Obviously, Christmas is my favorite time of the year.  Let's all remember that Jesus our Savior is the reason we have such a glorious season!  I love having Santa Clause all over my house, but you can also see that I love having the Nativity scenes in every room also.  What's more important is to keep Him in my heart!

Merry Chrstmas to all of you. Remember, like the placque on my piano: "Keep Christ in Christmas!" 

---"Love"

Santa Gave a Hint This Weekend of His Soon Arrival !

Slow as I am, it took me all of Friday and Saturday to get all my Christmas quilts, table toppers, wall hangings, piano and organ bench covers, etc.,  out of storage and in place.  I've shown them all in years gone by, so I won't bore you with all of them, except this one, which, of course, is my favorite.  (Looks like it may be hanging a bit crooked, doesn't it?.....Oh well!)

 The kids gave me the Victrola for Christmas last year, and I have really enjoyed it, especially this weekend since I'm still a "shut-in"!  I dug out all my old Christmas LP albums, and my CD's and Casette tapes, and have had them playing now for three days! 

If you double click on the picture, maybe you can read the words on the little quilt the little girl is holding.  It says, "You can never have too many quilts."  I got it from a friend's yard sale last year.

Being housebound has certainly kept me from buying more Christmas decorations this year, but the week before all the Vertigo incidents started, I was in Big Lots and just had to have this!

The red birds move their wings and 'sing' "We Wish You A Merry Christmas".  They are  activated by sound, and everyone that comes into my den will walk right near them!  I can hardly wait for someone to come and get surprised!  The two crocheted doilies stacked up were made by my aunt many years ago.  I think they make a perfect base for the red birds.

My house is still a wreck, but I'm pleased with my progress.  Now I need my son to come lift big boxes of pretty things down from top closet shelves.  I've decided not to put up the big tree in the sunroom this year; just a little one in the living room and another in the den will be enough. 

Guess I'll go see what else I can reach in the closets.  I'm sure there several somethings! 

---"Love"

 

Happy Thanksgiving! Now to Get Ready for Christmas!

Hope everyone had a Happy Thanksgiving today.  I did; spent the afternoon and evening with my son, DIL, and her family, and my Grandson.  We all ate way too much great turkey and dressing, and candied sweet potatoes, and of course, green been casserole, to say nothing of the three pies that were delicious and devoured!  I'm home now and really tired, so this will be short and sweet.  Just so you know, I'm sleeping in tomorrow, as late as I want to!  Then I'll get up and get started on Christmas!

Always in past years, on November 1, I've closed down the sewing machine and any part of quilting so I could start decorating for Christmas.  If you've been reading my blog for a few years, you know I just go crazy over Christmas!  Not this year----yet!  I just haven't felt like digging in; having a hard time getting into the Spirit of Christmas this year for some reason.  But that's got to change tomorrow! 

A few days ago I came across a little Christmas 4-patch Stack and Whack quilt that I had started two years ago, at quilt retreat as I recall.  The top was all together, and the stored away.  Then at Christmas, I hung it on the quilt rack in the back bedroom even though it was not even sandwiched for quilting, and then stored it away again. 

Tonight it is finished and hanging in the back bedroom again!    It's too dark to get a decent picture in there, but here's a couple of it in the sunroom at the moment I finished it this morning.

Too close to show the outside blocks, but you get the idea.

Double Click to enlarge to read the note.  

This fabric scrap will be stitched onto the back, but when my son came this morning,  I decided to get him to put the quilt on the rod so I'd have at least one thing for Christmas up!  I'll whip the fabric scrap and note on the back after Christmas so someday someone can see where the different blocks all came from.  I didn't do very well on the quilting, but I did try to free motion around the paisley patterns created by the 4-patch Stack and Whack.  It looks good enough to suit me, but it certainly could have been better done.    Also, it is too long for the place where it is hanging.  Remember I started it two years ago, with no thought of where I'd hang it, so the bottom row hangs down behind the headboard of the bed.  BUT----at least there's one Christmas thing out in my home on Thanksgiving night!

I won't be dragging out all the things I usually do, but by the end of next week, at my home, it should be beginning to look a lot like Christmas!  Also you know I usually host four or five big Christmas parties in December; well, that won't be happening this year.  Maybe one, just maybe, for some really close friends, maybe not.  We'll see.  If I had to give an answer tonight, it would be definitely NOT!

Still --- Santa will be making an appearance around the house soon!

---"Love"

Finally a Finished Quilt, but the Melody Lingers On----

No new stanzas to the song, but the melody lingers on, in that I've had two more visits with the ENT doctor for some meds he has put in the tube in my ear, and will again for two more weeks.  I'm still somewhat unstable, but feeling better and no more falls!

Next Wednesday I'll see him again, and also the same day, I'll see my heart doctor for the report on the 24-hour heart monitor.  I decided to postpone a dental appointment next week until after Thanksgiving.  Three doctor appointments in two days is too much for this old lady!

My new mattress delivered a couple of weeks ago is driving me crazy, so last Tuesday my son took me back to the store to arrange an exchange.  It will be delivered next Thursday, and I can hardly wait!  I have to climb into the current one, and when I finally get up on it, it cradles me into a ditch like a hammock and I can't even move!  I'm getting a lower one that's extra firm!

Last week my friend called, (the wife of the guy I'm making the quilt for), and said they wanted to stop by for a few minutes.  I was just ready to start quilting on it, so I shoved it in the closet before they got here. 

She called again yesterday to tell me her cousin had died and she needed to go to the funeral today.  Her husband suffers severely with dementia and worse, but he and I get along really well, so I told her to leave him with me while she went to the funeral,  and she agreed to do that.  She really needs a break from time to time.  I decided to try to finish the quilting and get the binding on before they got here at 9:30 this morning, and barely made it,    Since I'm not allowed to drive right now, I thought this would be a great time to get the quilt to him, and it all worked out great.

In my haste and lack of time, I failed to get a picture of the finished quilt, but I had taken  a full one of the pieced side before starting the quilting, so I'll show you that one.  I decided to piece the binding from the same fabrics, and I used variegated thread with the same colors for the quilting.

I added a black border all around it.

Very simple diagonal quilting all the way to outside of black border.

The backing fabric is why I had to make this quilt for him.  He has a big barn full of his Classic Chevy Collection from the 1950's!  They are all beautiful!  He has several just like the cars on this fabric, and today when he saw the quilt, he said, "There's one like my red '55,  or my yellow '55, or my red '57 Chevy," and he was so right!  He and I were in the same class all through school, and I'm so glad I found this fabric!  I think and hope he will enjoy the quilt; his wife loved it too.

My first idea was to use the fabric for the quilt top, but I didn't want to cut the cars up, and to fussy cut would have taken forever.  So this way, he can turn either side up when he's in his recliner or wherever.

They were ready to leave today when I remembered to take a picture of them with the quilt.  I've cropped the picture so at least you can see a little more of it, and the binding.

It certainly is no show quilt, but it was a joy to make for my special friends!  I hope it will give him a few happy thoughts of memories past too!

---"Love"

Same Song; Just a Different Arrangement on Verse Four!

You may recall I had an appointment to see my ENT doctor on this past Thursday, and I guess that was a good thing, because I had another fall on Wednesday.  However, it was not Vertigo related; it was a stupid accident!

A couple of weeks ago, the office chair I use for quilting, and at the computer, snapped something and went down to the lowest level.  The lever to raise it wouldn't do anything, so I've just been using it like that.  Last Wednesday afternoon I decided to see if I could fix it.  I turned it over on its back to look into the mechanism, and realized it is out of commission for good; started to raise it up to its five roller feet, and it somehow got away from me.  I lost my grip and fell backward from my semi-squatting position.  I hit my head on the upper half of the rim of my right ear on my quilting table on the way to the floor!  You can believe I said "Ouch!"  Then I remembered I had locked the glass front door to be ready for Halloween.  I said, "Self, you have to get up and go unlock that glass door; your neighbor might need to get in to help you,"  I was able to get up and get to the door, which proves it was not Vertigo!   The top part of my ear was badly bruised and turned purple within a few minutes, but didn't bleed, and  of course, my skull right behind the lower part of my ear was sore immediately.

I grabbed an ice pack I keep in the freezer, and laid down about 30 minutes, holding the ice pack to my ear.  I wouldn't let myself go to sleep, and in a bit, felt a little better, even though my right ear (the problem one) is still very sore, and still a little discolored.

My son came early Thursday, and we got all my errands taken care of, had lunch at our favorite place, and then went to ENT doctor for the scheduled appointment.  He had not seen me at all since I had the three vertigo events, so I had typed out a list of everything that had happened the last 2-3 weeks.  I can type much better than I can talk.  I even wrote about my primary doctor changing my meds, and stopping the one from him that seemed to be dropping my BP severely.  He considered it all, and decided to put a tube in my ear to start treatment for the Menier's  Disease.   I'll have to put ear drops in twice a day, and see him once a week for four weeks, and then he will decide what to do more.    I'm still taking the med for mild dizziness as needed, and of course, I still cannot drive; really haven't wanted or needed to.

Hope the next verse of this song is much better!

Last evening I started quilting a bit on the quilt I'm making for a special classmate.  I was just about to start on it again this afternoon when his wife called and said they were in town and wanted to stop by for a few minutes.  I had to grab the quilt and stuff it in the closet right quick; don't want them to know about it until I give it to them!  It is about two-thirds quilted, and very different to anything I've ever done.  Here's a teaser picture; can you figure out anything from this?

Thanks so much for all your prayers and kind thoughts !   Hopefully, there won't be a fifth verse to this saga; only a short chorus!   I have more things to do than go to the doctor!

---"Love"

Quilt Show and Other Happenings

It's been a while since my last post, and a lot has happened, some good, some not so good.

I think I've mentioned that my best quilting buddy and her husband sold their home to move to northern Arkansas, an 8-hour drive from here.  For the last month or six weeks, they were packing all day, every day!  The moving van and they pulled out last Monday, and got there safely.   I've missed them all week, but she has called 2-3 times, which helps my feelings a little bit.

For about a month, my BP has been being really low, mostly since my ENT doctor put me on a new vertigo pill every day.  My primary doctor had cut my regular BP meds in half, and finally told me to stop taking the daily pills from the ENT doctor.  My BP was showing a little improvement.

Sunday morning, Oct. 14, while dressing for church, I had a bad vertigo attack.  I took the mild event pill the doctor had given me when I had the last one several months ago, and went to bed.  On Monday I woke up feeling much better.  On Wednesday I delivered my two quilt show entries and my DIl's Christmas tree skirt entry to a nearby town, and felt just fine. 

On Thursday morning my new mattress was delivered, and again I felt great!  The delivery guys left about 11:50, and all was well, except the couch and coffee table in the den were still pushed across the room so they could get the mattress in.  They had been gone about 10 minutes when my legs and arms seemed to have no bones!  I fell across the coffee table and rolled off to the floor, just about a foot from the phone on a little table.  I could not reach it for about 20 minutes when I was finally able to scoot and stretch enough to reach it.  I called my next door neighbor who has a key to my house, thank goodness.  She came over, got my vertigo pills from the bedroom, and helped me get on the couch, where I stayed until about 6 PM.  This episode was before my best friend had moved, and she came over and helped move the furniture back in place, put the sheets on my new mattress, and got me in bed, where I stayed until Friday morning!  Woke up feeling better.  Went to grocery store, and did just fine. 

Quit show was Saturday; friend could not go; moving truck was loading her household.  I was feeling fine.  I knew I couldn't pick up the quilts until after 4 PM, so I decided to wait until after 3 PM to arrive at show; still feeling fine.  Unfortunately I got there just after the crew started taking the quilts down; as I went in, they were starting to take MY BLUE STARS off the rod!  I asked them to wait so I could get a picture!  They didn't like it, and wanted me out of their way.  My QUILTER'S QUIPS, and my DIL's CHRISTMAS TREE SKIRT were already down.  (See past posts for pictures.)  I was so disappointed not to get pictures of them hanging! 

Oh well, all was not lost!  My Blue Stars got a blue ribbon, 1st place, and my Quilter's Quips got a red ribbon, 2nd place.  DIL's tree skirt got a red ribbon, 2nd place.  I wasn't surprised that she got a ribbon, but I was suprised that mine got ribbons in their classes! 

After getting our quilts, (DIL was moving her dad from one nursing home to another one closer to her work and home), I decided to go on to Penneys to pick up some slacks I had ordered, and then came home, still feeling just great.

Last Sunday morning I got dressed and parked my car at church.  Got out of the car and started walking up the row of parked cars toward the church door.  As I reached the second car from mine, a really severe vertigo attack hit me, and I rolled all over the hood of someone's car, heading for the pavement!  The doorman saw me and came running, and another man I'd never seen (a first-time visitor) came from the parking lot behind, and together they got me back to the passenger seat of my car.  Someone told our retired pastor, and he came out and drove me to the hospital ER, where I was checked out, and sent home about 2:30 PM.   Back to bed again! 

After the Thursday attack, I had talked to my doctor and an appointment was made for Monday, before the second Sunday event, which my son took me to.  A 24-hour heart monitor was ordered, which I finished yesterday at noon,  and I have an appointment to see my ENT doctor on Thurs., Nov. 1.  After that I have to see the heart doctor, and then back to my primary doctor.  What a fun time this has all turned into.  I'm feeling better today, but still a little dizzy, so I took mild vertigo pill this morning, but I'm going to try to stay up today rather than going to bed; so far, so good.    Having had vertigo events the past two Sundays, I think I'll not try to go tomorrow.  Hopefully the ENT doctor will not fuss too much about my not taking his daily pills, and rather will come up with something I can take that will not lower my BP  down to 110/40!  It's no wonder I've not had a good summer!

If possible, today I want to sandwich a quilt I'm making for another dear friend.  More on that next post.

Just heard the sad news from Pennsylvania!  Let's all be praying for the victims! 

---"Love"

Hey, I've Visited Two Quilt Shows; Got Pictures to Prove It!

Back on September 21, my two quilting buddies and I went to a quilt show in a nearby town about an hour away.  Once we got into the building, we saw lots of pretty quilts, but before we go in, we were almost ready to get back in the car and come home!   I guess my old age is getting the best of my patience and temperament; I was almost angry before we got in. 

The show usually is held at the Sheriff's Posse Grounds, but for some reason, it was held in a big church this year.  We had never been there before, and the parking lot in front of the church was full by the time we got there.  Our leader/driver let us out at the front door, where there was also a long ramp going up to the second floor on the side.  Our driver took the car across the street to park.  The Sanctuary foyer had no lights on, and we couldn't see where the ramp led to.  Others were arriving, and no one seemed to know where to go in.  We walked to the corner of the building and down the other side hoping to find a sign or a door, but found neither one.  Others were coming around to that side from the back side of the building; they said there was no entrance there either.  We all walked back to the ramp, and we decided to make the long climb.  No signs were anywhere to be seen to even indicate a quilt show there. 

We got to the top and could see people inside, but the big double doors at the top of the ramp were locked, with nowhere to go but back down!  I was exhausted, and I'm sure some others were too.  We knocked on the glass doors, and a lady taking admissions waved her arms in the air and mouthed "No Key!", and pointed in another direction.  We all (about 10 of us) walked back down, and one lady went to another door on a wall further around the other way.   It was unlocked, and she went in, and was told we could go through that way.  So we climbed another set of stairs!

As I was paying  my admission, I said, "It would be nice if you would put some signs out to tell people how to get in."  The lady replied that the church would not allow them to put up any signs outside anywhere.  Can you imagine?  I was upset to say the least, and I wasn't alone. 

Once we got into the show, things got better, and we saw lots of pretty quilts.  Here's a few from that show:

 The last one was made by a man who had quilted lots of quilts for others, then realized he had not made a quilt for himself.  I talked to him and he said he worked on this quilt over 7 years, and used more than 5 miles (yes, five miles!) of thread!  I believe it!  I wish I had taken a really closeup so you could see it.  Ordinarily I don't like really heavy quilting, but his quilt was incredibly beautiful! 

Several vendors were there, and I bought a couple yards of Civil War background fabrics, but didn't take a picture; sorry.  After we ate at Montana's, we went back to the Gibson's Store there that has Moda fabrics for $8-9 a yard.  That stop is a must every time we are in that town!  Over all, it was a fun day --- after I got over my mad spell!  (Believe me, the others weren't happy either!)

It's getting late, and this is way too long to tell about the show I went to yesterday, all alone, but I'll try to make it short.  Both friends were busy; one packing; the other having company.  I was determined not to miss that show because I knew one of the gals at our retreat was going to have a quilt there, so I took off by myself, and quite frankly, I had a really good time.  It was about a 90-minute drive through the countryside, no heavy traffic and only one other town to go through.  I made it just fine!

Indeed my friend had two quilts there.  I couldn't seem to get a position for good pictures there, but maybe you can use your imagination on a couple of the pictures.  The first two were made by my "retreat" friend, and she did a great job on both of them.

Her Trip Around the World got Honorable Mention.

Her Lone Star

A wee bit more than my DIL's Christmas tree skirt!

Both the piecing and quilting were unbelievable!

More incredible piecing and quilting!   Can you even imagine?

The beauty and simplicity of this one spoke to my heart!

In fact, I bought a couple of yards of a pretty floral fabric I hope I can put together for something like this next year --- maybe.  It was just so delicate and lovely.  Picture doesn't do it justice.

Lots more pretty quilts at this show!  I had a fun day all by myself, and got home about 5:15, bone tired!

Looks like rain here for 2-3 days.   Hope I don't have to get out any time soon! 

---"Love"

Hmmm---Seems I Didn't Finish My Last Post!

There's more to the story of our church quilting group.  I got interrupted when the doorbell rung, so I guess I must have clicked on Publish rather than Save and Close.  I don't know for sure.

The rest of the story is really rather sad.  When the church quilters began several years, before I joined the group, there were about ten ladies who were very committed to the group, and they came every week.  Those were the days of hand-quilting too, and they did beautiful work,  Then one by one they began dying off, literally, until the group the last couple of years was down to three dedicated regulars, and three others who came when they didn't have anything else to do.  One of those has now moved to a nearby town.  Most often there were only three of us there every week.

Both of the other two are dear friends of mine, and both are excellent quilters, though the last three years we've sent the flimsy out to a long arm quilter for the quilting.  On the last quilt, "Diamonds Jubilee", as I recall none of the other ladies, outside the three of us, have worked more than two days on this quilt.  Basically, we three did it all. 

Here comes the really sad part.  One of my two friends is moving to Arkansas by the middle of October!  That leaves two of us who are regular!  The other lady left is our group leader.  The three of us talked things over, and the leader called a meeting of the entire group and had the meeting time put in the church bulletin Sunday before last.  Then she called everyone to remind them of the meeting.

The three of us showed up on time, along with the 90-yr. old who can only press, but loves to help when able to be there.  Later another one showed up, but said she could stay only a few minutes.  Then another showed up, explained that she had a hair appointment and is going to be busy until after Christmas.  Neither of them even suspected what was going to be discussed, other than "plans for the coming year".  Within a few minutes both had left, leaving the three of us and the little old lady who needs the fellowship.

The leader announced that one is moving very soon, and suggested that we might want to consider disbanding.  The little lady said she thought that was a good idea, but she hoped maybe we could still get together once a month for lunch maybe.  We all agreed that would be a great idea, and set the first lunch for tomorrow, as the last time the one moving will be with us;  makes me sad! 

Both the leader and I have nice sewing rooms, and both of us are crippled a bit, me with my cane and vertigo, and she having had major abdominal surgery that limits her to lifting no more than 10 pounds.  The one moving has been doing most of the machine lifting from our cars to the quilting room and the back to our cars, and now she is leaving the State.   So-----tomorrow we four will meet at 11 AM for lunch.  As usual, the other two have other places to go. 

It makes me so sad that my dear friend is moving away, but she and her husband want to move to a quieter place, a town of about 4500 in northern Arkansas, surrounded by lakes and forests, and lots of quilt shops and shows.  I almost envy them!  They are both retired, and this move has been on their bucket list for a few years.  Now it is finally happening.  The closing dates for the property they are selling and the one they are buying are set for little more than two weeks away!   They are packing like crazy, and the mover is already scheduled.  I'm happy for them, but I will really miss them both. 

For most of her adult life, she had been an excellent seamstress, but I got her started into quilting a few years ago.  She fell in love with quilting, and she sews so fast!  She can make 4 or 5 quilts to my one!  She is about 15 years younger than I am, and she always calls me every night to check on me on days we don't see each other.  I lovingly call her my 'caretaker'.  The other friend is already beginning to take her place; or----maybe she knows she will miss our friend just as much as I will.

What's more is that I will really miss our quilting group getting together each Thursday.  However, what's left of our group (my friend and the little 90-yr. old) did agree  to meet for lunch one Thursday a month.  Tomorrow we, as a group, say our goodbyes to our friend who will be gone before our next gathering.  So sad!  Of course, I'll see her before she's gone, but not as a group again.

Got to shut my mouth and bind my fingers!    I've got to get hanging sleeves on a couple of quilts for a nearby show on October 20, literally the day my friends leaves for Arkansas!   More about the show another day.  My DIL is entering her bargello Christmas tree skirt.  Got to get the entries in this week!

Thanks to all of you for the sweet comments about our church quilt.  I guess it's best I didn't get that post finished with all this sad song and dance!

I'll try not to be so long in posting again.

---"Love"

Finally a Quilt to Show, But It's Not Mine

Our church quilters' group our donation quilt last week, and handed it over to the Youth Director for safe keeping until the church auction later in the year.  The pattern was from a magazine named "Scrap Quilting Made Easy", and the name of the pattern in that magazine was "Diamonds Jubilee."   We actually had finished piecing it in June and had taken it to a long arm quilter to be quilted.  We got it back a couple of weeks ago, and one of our quilters got the binding on by machine.  It finished at 92" x 84".  The backing is plain muslin.

I didn't get it hung very straight, but it really is.

Closeup before quilting.

Our quilters all had a hard time making this one.  We pieced it from scraps that had been given to us, and none of us are really crazy about making scrap quilts.  We finally just cut lots of squares and triangles, and haphazardly sewed together whatever we picked up.  We were glad when we finally got it finished.  We had to admit that after it was quilted, it looked better that we had thought it might.

As I was printing the pictures of the finished quilt, something came to mind that made the quilt much more acceptable.  The name of the quilt is "Diamonds Jubilee,"  words often connected with a 75th anniversary, right?  Well, this is the 75th anniversary year for our church!  What better name or pattern could we have chosen?!!  Isn't it amazing how God works?  We all felt much better when I shared that revelation with them all.  We shared the story with the pastor, and he plans to use the idea in the promotion of the quilt at the auction in December at the close of our 75th year.

New Project and New Developments

I still cannot decide how I want to quilt the Flea Market Quilt, nor can I decide on the thread I want to use, so that project has been sidelined for a while.

However, a new project has entered the scene, and it is a fun one that I have enjoyed so far.  I must say that may change when I begin quilting it.  The picture below is a portion of the backing, and so far measures 45" square.

Bright, isn't it?  And it may grow; not sure yet.

I can't tell you the whole story of this quilt yet, but it will be a good story.  I can't show you the top yet either.  There will be some "firsts" for me in this quilt too.  A friend suggested I quilt it with Sulky Invisible polyester thread; I've never tried that, and to be honest, I'm a little fearful just thinking about it.  She even brought me a spool from her thread collection; said she loves to use it.  I'll try, but may have to change my mind.  Any suggestions on how to make it work for me?  I hope to be able to use it on the bobbin, and my 70/3 polyester thread on the top.  Do you think that will work for me?  I'll do a test run on scraps before I start on the quilt when I get it all together.

In other developments, last Thursday I went to see my ear doctor for help with my vertigo and hearing loss in my right ear.   First I had a hearing test, which showed an increased hearing loss from last test.  Then the doctor entered the room, took one look at my face, and asked, "Who is your eye doctor?"  On the Monday before that, what I thought was a stye had come up on my lower right eyelid.  I had never had a stye before, but that's what I thought it was   By Thursday, it was looking really bad, and my face was red and swollen almost down to my lips, but I had this appointment which I needed to keep, so there I was, in the ear doctor's office.  I had read online that styes normally go away in a week, and if not, then one should see a doctor,  It hadn't been a week yet, so I hadn't seen my eye doctor yet.  I answered with my eye doctor's name, and his reply was, even before he had ever looked at my ear, "When I get you out of here, you are to go straight to your eye doctor.  You need antibiotics and other meds, and if he won't see you without an appointment, come back here and I'll prescribe the antibiotics.  Your eye is badly infected!"   I agreed to follow his instruction.

Now finally he looks at my ear and the hearing test results, makes some suggestions (cut the coffee and salt),  ordered renewals on my vertigo prescriptions, made a three-month re-check appointment, and sent me on my way to my eye doctor, about 15 miles away.  I was hoping for a hearing aid, but he said not yet.

My eye doctor couldn't see me, but fortunately another doctor there agreed to see me in just a few minutes after my arrival.  She agreed my eye was in bad condition, and ordered antibiotics and a salve to put inside my lower eyelid.  That's not the easiest thing for me to do, but I finally figured out how to get it done.  My eye is still inflamed, but is looking much better, and the swelling and redness is gone from my face.  I go back for a re-check day after tomorrow.

The week before all this I had seen my foot doctor, and was scheduled to see him again this coming Thursday, but I'm scheduled to see the eye doctor that day too, so I cancelled the foot doctor appointment this morning.  He's not going to operate on my foot anyway, so I'll just live with that problem!    Ears and eyes are more important to me! 

One more thing:  I also saw the heart doctor a couple of weeks ago, and my heart has no problem!  I told them before they even checked me out!  I just wish the rest of me was as good as my heart!  Gettin' old is wearing me down!  But I do keep the doctors in business;  they love for me to visit them because I have excellent supplemental insurance!

So now that I've bored you with all my health problems, I think I'll go sew.   I look forward to your advice for using the Sulky polyester thread. 

---"Love"

Borders Are On the Flea Market Quilt!

I finished the two borders on the Flea Market Quilt #1 flimsy a couple of days ago, and also got the backing pieced together.   I've even got the binding cut!  The top grew from 75" to 98" square.  I'm already dreading trying to quilt it!  I had planned on laying it aside for a little while so I could get several things done around the house, but I received notice about a nearby quilt show scheduled for October 20, with entry deadline at October 1.  I'm not sure I could have this one ready by then!  Maybe I should try????  Maybe not!  We'll see.   I always have something in this show, but I'm too tired today to make a decision.

I'm just thinking as I type this, okay?  I do have My Blue Stars finished, and while it is not done as well as I hope this one will be, I could enter the stars, which really is more my style.  I don't expect any ribbons anyway from the show; I just like to share my quilts.  So-----maybe that decision is made, and then I could take my time on the Flea Market quilt.  Of course, just for fun I could also enter my Quilter's Quips; everyone would get a giggle from that maybe.

As I typed that last paragraph, I thought I should probably give this quilt another name.  Surely it deserves a better name than "Flea Market Quilt #1".  Any suggestions?  Certainly other quilts will be made someday from other fabrics in that flea market steal; I'd hate to just keep adding numbers, like #2, #3, and #4.   

I always enjoy reading blogs and seeing pictures of quilts hanging from trees or lying on the lawn.  I had never tried that, but I just couldn't get a picture of my quilt borders in the house.  So this morning I took my quilt top to the back yard for a photo shoot.  There was a fairly strong breeze so I had to weight it down on one side.  I still didn't get a good picture, but at least you can see the arrangement better.

The outer border is the same floral as is in the blocks.

You can go back to here to see the closeups from my last blog.

Before cutting the borders, I was worrying because I had thought the fabric was directional.  After all, in every little block from the floral fabric, the stems of the flowers and leaves were going the same direction --- down, as they should.  However, when I got the fabric out to cut the borders, I discovered that the stems were going every direction, so I could just cut my borders without worrying about stem directions!  Thank goodness for that!

Then it hit me for the first time.  Whoever made those all those paper pieced blocks had "fussy-cut" every one of them to get the stems all going the same direction!  Every time I've looked at those blocks and the fabric closely, I've discovered something else amazing.  I'm just glad that I now have it together!

I've even stored all the leftover fabric from the project.  It filled a 16 quart Sterilite tub, with one piece a full seven yard (yes 7 yards) piece of the purpleish fabric used in the sashings---enough for the backing of another quilt!  There's also enough of the other fabrics to perhaps make a large throw, maybe a twin top!  All of it is the "Flower Market" series by Thimbleberries.  I searched on line to see if it is still available, just trying to see when it was made.  I did not find it available anywhere even though several references were made to it.  One had a date of 2012, which really did not surprise me.  There's really no telling how old the fabric is, but it was all clean and well cared for.

I have no idea yet how I'll quilt the quilt.  I really am not wanting to start on it now, and I certainly don't want to feel rushed to get it finished by October 1.  I had wanted to spend a lot of time practicing free motion again before I start it.  Oh well, this one hasn't cost me much so far, and actually the batting will be the most cost in it.  Maybe I could just practice on it!  If I mess it up, so what!  (Don't you just love my way of thinking?)  Maybe I'll go sandwich it this afternoon, or maybe tomorrow.  We'll see.

Right now I think I'll go fix something to eat, and then get my fresh laundered sheets back on the bed!

Hope everyone has a good quilting week!

---"Love"

Remember that Flea Market I Went to Back in July, 2015?

Well, finally, I've been working on those beautiful paper pieced blocks, and I'm very pleased with the progress.   What is so wonderful is that there is enough fabric left to make borders and even the backing, with even more left over!  I can hardly imagine that I found such a deal in a flea market along the side of the highway on a whim to stop, and all the fabric for this quilt is by Thimbleberries for RJR Fabrics!

I laid the blocks out on my back bed, with the one row that had been sewn together.  I drew out my plan, colored the sashings and corner squares, counted everything up, and started cutting and sewing sashings right after my last blog post.  Everything went really well all the way, and those paper pieced blocks are so well done.  I wish I knew who had made them!  She would be so pleased that they are finally together into a flimsy.  I'm so pleased that her work was absolutely perfect on all 16 blocks!  Not one bobble did I find!  I did my best on the sashings, but my stitching really does not measure up to her paper piecing on those blocks.  I mean every seam in every block was perfect!  I have to say I really didn't enjoy tearing the paper off,  but it certainly helped to protect the blocks wherever they traveled, for how long I have no idea; one year, five years, or more before I rescued them?  Who knows?  Anyway, I'm pleased.

Here's my pictures so far.

 

This literally is all I had to cut for all you'll see here!

The center block is the front side of the block below it

with the paper still on it.  Paper was still on only 

the four center blocks like this

You'll see where the top block is later,

Closeup of the four center paper pieced blocks

(Sorry; I took the picture at night with poor lighting.)

Here it is on my back bed.  I have no idea the name of the pattern;
unfortunately no instructions came with the blocks or fabric,
but I just felt this was the best arrangement. 
I'll get a better picture when I finish with the borders. 

So far I'm so pleased with the semi-finish.  Tomorrow I hope to decide on the borders.  I have enough of several of the fabrics to choose from and make it work.  It currently is 75" square.  I hope to make it approximately 100";  we'll see.

Again, I'm asking myself --- why do I keep making large quilts?  Why can't I just make myself make smaller quilts, even itty bitty quilts?  Well, at least under 30"?  And wouldn't you know, I'm already thinking of my next project that may turn out large again someday!

---"Love"