The Other Side of the Coin

My quilted scrap pieces are finished into Shamrock hangings...I love how they turned out.

An online order...Irish buttons, arrived today...gleefully..

My girl Is here from Portland....The comfort of family.

She is doing my taxes and I am fiddling with sewing up odds and ends.

She is such a wonderful daughter...

She tried to get dinner, but the battery was dead in my car...
Bad timing as she just arrived yesterday...

.Security here jumped it and then Michael put in a new battery

Grateful me.

A plain ol' bag came free with another bag.  Boring, but iron on patches from 

Missouri Star Quilt Company  made the difference.

This pix is an example from their sale page today.

My sister is coming to visit tomorrow...so bitter sweet since Alexis died Saturday.

I have not seen my sister in months because she was caring for her daughter.

In spite of our sorrow and my awful hip pain...

I feel uplifted. 

That deserved a post tonight!!

Amazing Grace

 My lovely niece, Alexis, age 38, died Saturday just past midnight of an agressive ovarian cancer., a mere 15 months past diagnosis.

We miss her so.  Thank you Hospice.  Alexis was the face of great bravery, as is her mother. xoxoxoxo

The God thing was sent via my sister who never asks for help.  She asked our Stasi to order her a sandwich from Door Dash

The delivery man was 30 min late.  He apologized for the cold sandwich, saying his father was new to this and became lost.

My sister said that that was nothing as her daughter was dying in the next room.

Thirty minutes later the man came back with his teenage son.  They brought flowers and a gift card.

A complete stranger showing us all that there is kindness in the world after all.

Above are my hearts made of scraps.  I ironed them onto fusible fleece.  I quilted them and cut the hearts with my electric Accucutter (one of the nicest treats I have ever recieved from myself)!!

In my grief for Alexis, I am keeping busy by doing the same thing with some green scraps..  I have a Shamrock die as well.

Nothing like creating to soothe the soul.    `

Meantime, in Portland, Oregon, our Aoife makes a snow angel and enjoys winter.

A lovely

 homemade card from Linda Swanekamp...Joy!!!!

AND, today....Happy 16th birthday to our wild and wonderful Lynsey  xoxoxoox

With all life's sorrows, there is still much to be grateful for.

Love abounds.

The Midnight Hour

My scrap Heart quilt is hanging in the art room here.

It is very nice to see it appreciated once again.

Pix is awful, but...quilt is nice

Todays project making:  scrap hearts on my Accucutter.  The scraps were ironed onto fusible fleece.then quilted..more to be revealed

The calming influence of potholders...I only had one left for giving and loving

Japanes Boro box...a delightful gift from a friend...lucky me.

The midnight hour, full of Tylenol pm, I finished the binding for Evan's quilt...He is my dear eldest grandson.

Even though the late night rush delivered the most awful binding of 60 years of quilting...I am putting it in the quilt show anyway.

Very exciting news is that my apartment complex is providing a bus to the quilt show March 7, Friday.

Mostly good things to report tonight..

xo

Small Things with Great Love

My neighbor has a birthday  tomorrow.  Found this fabric piece that looks just like her dog.  With gold sparkly vinyl (from Cousin Ann in London)  I made her a small bag which I have filled with doggie treats...So much fun to make.

More key fobs.  This time I used my Kaffe scraps.

There is nothing like creating to calm the soul.

With my painful arthritis, I struggle to make larger projects.

There are lots of kind folks around here to give things to. I am amazed at how folks who do not sew admire homemade items.

People are actually asking me where I bought these key fobs....because they want one too.

Today my apartment complex drove me and my EOV to the doctor's office for a second opinion on my need for a hip replacement.

This doctor echoed the last doctor....More weight to lose for me..Jeeze Louize.

So, I have decided to keep giving myself weight loss shots and  use my EOV to drive around here and bloom where I am planted.

So missing my youth!!

So glad to be alive!

Look for the Light

 Look for the Light

Figured that this song was for me...maybe for you too...Life is hard sometimes!!

Below is stunning bag Sandee made...just lovely

Here we are on the visit...One Sandee and two Dianes..  I can see that my movie star days are over...OMG

Sent some Valentine sewing cards to my Aoife the other day...Such fun.

Lucy showed me a picture of her great-grandma's quilt...

Below, some seat cushion protectors I made from African fabric. They are water resistant and happy to look at

My neighbor, EJ showing off her stunning button necklace...I want one too...

And, my new potholder quirk:  Adding a piece of selvedge to add spice to the piece

And so it goes at the O'Quilts household which now, of course, only consists of me!!!

Trying not to be swept away by the crazy in my life and in our world.

"Just go sew" as my Dear man used to say.

`This Life of Mine

Thiought I would post to cheer the day.

Below Aoife and her cousin in Ireland at Christmas.

They are learning to get along.

Dublin airport at New Years...Aoife hugging Santa!!

Christine showing us her latest quilt.

I had such a lovely dinner last night with friends, that I was  motivated to finish a few of my things just sitting around.

I think the "love" applique is a good touch.  I found more online at Walmart.

Below, a potholder gift for a friend:

My sister is destashing....she is preparing her home for a hospital bed for her daughter

Hospice is involved.  We are all so sad.

I asked her for one cup of her Christmas china before she sells it..

Lovely  memories.

Sometimes a quilter just has to make a potholder...not done, but therapeutic

So here it is...my latest.:...My awful hip pain keeps me from going to dinner, to the art studio, from leaving the apartment.

No pain medication helps at all...And so a friend loaned me this...OMG

My poor ego.....I have to talk myself into being grateful it is available to me at no cost.  As I practice on it so I will not kill someone else, I should be able to be less confined and thus less depressed.

I think I will adjust to this better if it is bespeckled with quilting items!!!

Surgeon and doctor will not replace my hip if I do not lose 50 pounds, but I cannot walk..

Jeeze...I offered to sign a waiver, but no dice.  Me thinks the insurance companies now own the hospitals.

Instead I have to take these shots to help me lose weight.  I do not want to but the pain says , "just do it"

Now they are making me give myself the shots....OMG  OMG

Good things today include a visit from my friend Michael...Thank you Michael.for the friendship, the lunch and the visit..xoxo

Visitors came from my bldg....

And all was well until I tried to walk again after my nap and ended up in tears.

Guess what?????  Dinner fixed that....crazy me..

Now, as my dear man said....I will just go sew. xoxo

Happy New Year's Eve

 Blue Rope for $12.49

I thought I  would share my good deal.  Last night I made my third blue rope bowl. I was able to make 3 rope bowls for the above money from one bundle of rope..Pretty good if you ask me.

Above are some little bags from the Irish oil cloth Eithne brought me years back.

The Rip Stop lining will be tacked down with a bit of Elmer's glue stick, then sewn.  The little bags will close with Velcro.

Once again, our family has been shaken by terminal illness.

Out of the blue, as life tends to happen.

As is my custom, sewing and making things to give away calms me.

Ending 2024 with sewing.

Starting tomorrow...2025 with sewing.

Like my man used to say..."Just go Sew!!".

Lucky with in house friends to brunch with today and tomorrow

Lucky with other friends busy with their holiday lives.

Hoping to share friendship and love  in the New Year.

Happy New Year!!

Holiday Season Week 4

 

My oldest grandson, Evan is 19.  He works hard and owns his own tiny house.

As I so miss seeing my son for the past 2 years, I see him in my Evan..The eyes, the voice...the heart.

Therapy for Grandma O'Quilts these past two days as hip pain disables me.

Two rope bowls using my cool and awesome blue rope...This is my meditation and my relaxation.

This has been a very difficult pain day.  I am thinking that doctors do not care about the elderly...We are just extra parts.

But, then, it is midnight and I should know better than to post now..

I did not leave my apartment all day.  With shades drawn, I heard Pearl knocking at my door.

The blue rope bowls helped keep her at bay.

Tomorrow I will try to hobble to lunch.  I so need to see people.

At my age, Christmas is just not like it used to be.  I am missing my past, I am missing my youth.

Tomorrow is my sister's birthday.  Unfortunately she is alone as she watches her daughter get sicker by the day. It breaks my heart that she has such little support.

Hoping now that the morning light will bring me clarity...It usually does.

Holiday Season Week Three

Beautiful tree, beautiful granddaughter!

Linda Swanecamp's stunning hand painted Christmas card!!

This year is the very best.

MP holiday card says all the right things.

My friend Carolyn  gave me this for my birthday .  It is a pocket hug.

NC grands came to visit for my birthday....Oh, yes...a selfie...and love.

Not made quite in time...but maybe next year..

My hip joint pain is so bad now that I can barely walk even with a walker.

Called another doctor in another agency.  I am meeting him next month.  Meantime I have had two shots for weight loss;

Somehow, I had missed that I was quite the substancial woman.  Can you believe that in this clinic, there are two doctors who will not see anyone over 50!!! OMG

First I weigh too  much;  then I am too old;  maybe  next I will have been too political???

Meantime, I am trying to bloom where I am planted and celebrating all the wonderful things that make up my life.

Friends and family...so the best!!

 

A Holiday season : Week Two

Grandma O'Quilts is still potholder crazy.

Tree potholder process below.  I think I will sew a little button on top for a star.

I sew love my electric Accucutter!!!

I could not let these scraps go by.....

Good use for my cat cut outs..,

Today, I got  my first shot for losing weight.  I am still alive...

It has been 12 hours and I have not yet lost any weight and my joint pain still flares.

Friends gathered at lunch for a very fun "shot" support group,.

I am so very lucky!!

I had the medication, the needles and the instructions from the pharmacy.

The mean nurse here insisted that I learn to give myself the shot....No way!!!

She said if I did not learn, she would charge me $27.  I told her that I would pay the money

The nurse got meaner.  She insisted...So today was my first lesson in giving myself a shot....OMG

I am waiting for the awful side effects that google told me about.......waiting....

Tomorrow I just may put away my box of Christmas and Hannukah fabric.

I should do it before I get holiday potholder- making crazy,  out

 of control!!!

It has been rainy and cold here in Charlotte...brrr.

I, however, am snug as a bug by my sewing machine.

xoxo

 

A Holiday Season....Week One

With great excitement I show the cool swag on this tree...Variagated thread and my little star stitch..Perfect!!

Some of my work in the art room display...Accuquilt snowflakes for Christmas and Hannukah!!

Plus little hanging made for me by my girl many years ago.

The little snowmen are memories from yesteryear...When  my son was in fourth grade.  He hunted the acorn hats..Together we sprayed the clothespins and dotted the face with marker...I love them still

My improv tree quilt was chosen for exhibit this year.

Housewarming potholder for a friend who changed apartments.

She loves to embroider so I put this scrap piece together with a snippit of my grandmother's doily.

My talented grandmother lived from 1896 to 1996.

And, in Portland, our four year old Aoife visits the Llama holiday get together...A  yearly event for them.

Her Irish sweater celebrates the season with the Irish word for Christmas.

Mrs O'Quilts is finally getting an attitude adjustment.  It is not just old lady me with pain and grief..

The world is full of it and so is my apartment complex...

Getting a grip for the holidays with my new role as potholder queen.

Found my name here on one of the doors in our main building.

Why, I have no clue....but it kinda makes me smile:).

Continuing my prime goal of :  "Bloom Where You are Planted"

Already first week of December.

xo