A Very Unproductive Grandma O'Quilts

Here, is a bag I have wanted to try for awhile.  It is made by sewing a fabric rectangle, right sides together with a lining...turning it, then in the middle of this rectangle tying a knot .  That did not sit right with me, so I made a handle instead. The next step is to sew the sides half way up the bag.    I found that the sides did not open far enough to insert objects, so I opened them wider...That was too wide to hold things securely. Wondering what to do...Maybe snaps.?...The outer fabric is from a dress  at Goodwill...25% off on Tuesdays.  The lining is a red star batik.  This was a challenge...not sure I would make it again...but glad I did now.

Mean time in Portland, Aoife uses her mother's iron instead of the cute pink one I sent her....Of course!!

This girl turns 6 next week...amazing.  First grade is coming.......

I couldn't wait to share this picture.  Rosie, the Australian shepherd mix just hanging with the chickens...The cat, Stitch, sometimes joins them...One big happy family.

No other news...I am working on some UFOs...and being lazy. xo

Lucky Grandma O"Quilts

 Things I love about my grands, etc.  When  I really really need something, they do it for me.  Today  my DIL and grands picked me  up for errands and lunch, then without asking cleaned up  my kitchen, etc.   And, of course lots of hugs.  The grands all work and contribute to the family and my DIL is doing a wonderful job.

Things I worry about with that North Carolina family of mine:

They have three dogs, three cats, six kids and now for Father's Day, they all went to the snake store to get their father two snakes and a Gecko..????  Jeeze Louize.

I am so proud that my 16 yr old bought his own truck to fix up, but all shaky that he wants to "raise it up"   Whatever that means.

When I complain about my arthritis and fatigue....In  unison, they say, "Better old than dead"  Lordy!!  Always so exhausted..becoming a hermit....Guess I had better  follow up on that sleep study after all..

Midnight, one or two AM..it is hard not to feel the losses of the past.. Tonight I did some mindless tasks to relax..and watched a blah movie. I stripped the leaves off of the artificial dollar store flowers to make flower pens...All ready for action, I forgot electrical tape..

Lucky me loves a mistake...because I forgot the black tape at the dollar store...I found green tape on Amazon Prime Day...Much prettier for the stems than black..It will be here tomorrow.

I love my family...as for a pet...a cat would be wonderful...How my children ended up with chickens and snakes and expensive blue eyed dogs is so  beyond me.

Above is our Aoife showing her  4 classmates how she feeds her chickens...

Happy News

 First up....Happy Father's Day to Brian...My lucky daughter got a mighty fine Irish man just like her mommy did...Grateful!!

And then, our Dylan...16...His first driver's license...and....with his own savings, bought  his first truck...So Proud here....

More relaxing potholder fun for Grandma...

Our first group quilting...One of our own has an old quilt his mother made....from the 40s...It needs mending so he can still cuddle in it....(he is 85)  We did a mending session for him.

Below:  the last of  my husband's shirt scraps....

A few more bowl cozies...

The finished "Happy Cloths".  I have used so many face cloths to make these..Now I realize that the cloths do not have to be made with high quality toweling.....

A friend at my place is a retired PT...She has taken me under her wing to help  my walking..Before I was able for my 5th joint replacement last year, I was in a wheelchair for 5 months, the pain was so great....Now, pain free, my walking is wobbly.  I have had PT before, but nothing like this one...She is giving me hope.  I am so grateful ..

Another Day

Drinking red wine at 1:30 am seems to be a wonderful way to handle arthritis and a big over-do with  physical therapy.  Trying to be strong and brave and true in just one week did  not work.  Sigh...Guess I am just what I am.

Above is the beautiful Calla Lily gifted to me last May after my hip replacement..Such a beautiful bloom.  Below a linen towel on sale in our thrift shop for a dollar.  I am making it into a bag...Stay tuned.

With millions of  unfinished projects and tons of fabrics from my collection of 60 years, I decided on somethings new...The above potential bag and the below scrap mug rug or hanging...I so love whimsy.  I ironed these small scrap pieced onto fusible fleece and pencil quilted it.  It is my meditation to put myself outside of life's messiness.

A bit of leftover batik made the back so happy.  The color above in the piece is much paler than in reality.. So much fun to play with fabric.  Now if only my Monroe family would start sewing a few things, I would feel more joy.  They have 3 sewing machines out there!!  I know making things is just a matter of starting.

In old age we have to decide where our money works best for us.  My children know there is no inheritance....but they also know I can take care of myself and they can be free..   I no longer buy fabric, but I do hire a friend to clean my apartment once a week....That is a wonderful treat for me.

Hmmm, as for no longer buying fabric...I am indeed tempted....especially by the new Anna Marie Horner pieces.

I am taking the shot to lose weight for more upcoming surgeries....The only thing it is doing is making me crave jelly beans and Necco wafers...instead of real food.

And, so it goes...Every day a challenge and a joy...Gratitude as I sit on my  beautiful porch reading a book...

A Gift or Two

It has been a long time since I put a zipper in a pouch...and never have I put in zipper ends...This bag wins no awards for workmanship...A card playing friend of mine had her bags and cards taken to the garbage by mistake by the clean up crew. She asked me to replace them....This  laminate bag is  big enough for her 5 decks of cards.

Usually I put velcro on these card bags, but my friend has had two strokes and two heart attacks...She  has only one viable arm and leg.  She asked me to put a zipper on it so she could open it with her teeth ..

I put a length of ribbon in the zipper and added a pull...Hope she likes it.

This friend has the best heart...She includes everyone in the card games and other activities.

Next ,comes Tootsie's dog biscuit bag.. Tootsie comes to visit me from the neighbor across the hall...Immediately she looks for a treat.  I usually cannot find the bag.  Now, it is clear that this is the dog treat bag...The dog on the bag even looks like Tootsie.. I added a string and a bell...so I will find it for sure.

This funky picture is of Aoife washing her hair.  Every time Grandma here calls, she insists she wash her hair for me...Evidently she washes it several times a day for the fun of being a big girl... She turns 6 in July.

In order to keep blogging, I must post whenever I have finished something...So here we are!! 

Tomorrow will be  90 degrees F with rain.   Perfect for sewing and sleeping.  A friend is doing some grocery shopping for me, as I am still in PT for my weak muscles...I am so grateful to be here safe and sound...

What I am Making!!

 Not much to show...potholder...and...

 African charm pack...gifted to me from Linda...Busy here, snowballing them and loving them.

The Happy Birthday present to my friend, Linda, the birder...so perfect on the quilted jacket she made.

The news I know as age is upon me:

At Scrabble the other day, I sat on a friend's antique chair...Of course it collapsed...with me falling to the floor.  Note to self:   Antique me no longer can sit on antique chairs...I broke nothing, but my wobble is worse as I walk around.

Last night I stayed up till 4:30 am sewing.  Got a rush of energy as I cleaned up projects...UFOs and emptied my scrap bucket for quilt loving friends here.  I miss all my friends and family from forever ago...Covid ruined most of it; my arthritis ruined the rest.  Life  is still good and I carry on xo

Just a note from Portland where our loving Stitch is alive and loving every minute!!

Big Gratitude and Small Gratitude

My Magnolia gift today...brilliant with a wing span of 10 inches!! Amazing!!

Gratitude for Aoife...soon to be 6....A pix of pot of gold under the Irish rainbow....with a chicken enjoying herself...of  course.

AND....Lip gloss for Grandma...Hmmmmmm

My favorite relaxation: creating potholders...Oh, dear...I am all out of Insulbrite!

I am way behind making potholders as I give them away so often....to folks who are so nice to me...or who have birthdays or have sad days. Grateful for my cool and awesome Janome 8900 sewing machine and my huge fabric stash!!

Missing my family who have gone before me...and the stellar family I have left.

Generosity is..loaning my car to my  friend so she could practice swimming for her  tournament on Thursday in the senior games..Yesterday, I loaned my red travel Janome to my 97 year old quilting buddy so she could machine quilt her latest.  Both of these women inspire me so much. 

 Here;  Our neighbor, MK with all  her swimming medals:  She will be 90 in October.  

Time is going very fast...I fear that all my fabric making dreams will not fit into the time I have left here on earth... One am is evidently the time to worry about that??!!  Not!!

Nte! xo

Gifts of Love

A friend fell last night in the hall in her nighty...Off she went to the ER , returning today with an arm broken in two places and stitches on her face. She will be 90 in July and is quite fragile physically....not mentally....stubborn and of Irish descent.  I whipped up a pillow cover for her comfort.   I get these small basic pillows online, having them available for sick friends.  They are a perfect present as  they can be used on your lap for dinner, in the crook of your neck or the back of your chair.  It is in a bag now and will be delivered tomorrow.

Tommy Bahama silk shirts I found at our thrift store for $5 each.  I planned to cut them for a different feel in a quilt as they are 3x, xt men's shirts with lots of fabric. I threw them into the  wash and drier before I read the label that they were 100% silk.  They came out fine..  Guess they were a different kind of silk than I am used to.  After seeing the price of them online, I am troubled about cutting them up.  I will see...

Below, Dylan is 16.  Driving with his permit still..Amazing.  I got him when he was 3...Dylan is not the only one in my family who is older....cough, cough...says Grandma O'Quilts!!

Below is the latest in funky.  I had cut up that 2$ thrift store blouse with all the buttons.  The green reminds me of forever ago.  I am planning on applying letters on it...maybe...Be Kind?  Stay tuned.

I so love making memories.

My family is all off having their own lives, as it should be.  Grandma here so happy in her garden reading and hanging out with her sewing machines.   One of the best feelings in quilting groups is all ages of women coming together in a common cause. Here, it happens in all areas.  I am off to play this card game called, Hand and Foot.  I had never  heard of it till here.  I will be playing with folks between the ages of 62 and 97...All so interesting and supportive.  I  have so much gratitude to be here with them.

Today I am in a chipper mood.  I actually had a good  night sleep last night.  What a difference that makes..

Mothers' Day Today

 Grandma Dear made this cross stitch for me 50 some years ago...Guess she knew me well..It hangs now on my door to remind me to love myself the way  I am.

My new glass chicken item...gifted to me by friends from the glass factory they visited..

 Last year I lost 40 pounds...Then, I was able to have my hip replaced.  A few months back, I  went to the hernia specialist.  She said I had to lose 50 more  pounds before she would do my hernia surgery.  OMG   I am so not a magician...Disgusted, I am cruising Pinterest and eating jelly beans.. Really?????  No one told me age would mean visits with multiple doctors instead of visits to multiple fabric shops.  UGH

 Above, king of my  UFO lot..I made tons of them...16 patches.....Now thinking on their layout.

Happy Mother's Day!!!  Lucky me heard from both of my children and my dear DIL  Lucky lucky me!!

I did  not hear from my grands, but that is just fine.. I have had a lovely day.  A three hour lunch with friends and my sister here at my place...Prime rib was delightful..Life is good.  I am grateful.

How perfect is this picture of my girl and her girl on Mother's Day.  I  love it  so.  When they called this morning, I spoke with Aoife.  She informed me that she was not five...She was five and a half!!  So there!!

The above note was role modeled for us all our lives by our mother.  A great tribute to her..Missing her so...She has been gone for 12 years now.

XXOO Mother...

Sewing Crumbs

My crumb quiltlet:  "My Mellow Yellow"

Crumbs are ironed on fusible fleece, quilted and made into small hanging. My  latest obsession:  buttons...I love them so!!  I think I will make some earrings this week..

They were only 3 and 4 when I got these darlings to raise.  Now, here they are at 16 and 17..so very dear to me.  They came today for lunch....They helped Grandma in so many ways.....lots of hugs and kindness...I am very very lucky.

The weather in Charlotte has been hot and hotter.....80's and even a 90.  Today is 58 midday....TBTG for China and Sherry and Amazon for my wonderful fireplace...Perfect for a nap after  4 youthful visitors this morning.

Feeling old today.  The grands are so quick and efficient.  Lynsey organized my pantry in 5.  I get so overwhelmed that I cannot even do it...I am so amazed.. Grandma!!!!  She said, Why are there 15 boxes of baggies in the pantry??  I cannot bend over to look, so I just buy more...Grandma!!!    She does not understand, but that girl surely knows  how to organize!!!  Grateful me.

Two of the boys put my quilt top on the floor to measure the backing..So helpful and again, so quick.

Four (one brought a friend) of them were here for 90 min helping and  hugging me, then they were gone and I was exhausted and I did nothing, took a nap....I am thinking I am old before my time....

UFOs here galore, yet here I relax in front of Pinterest....

My latest square top:  the coral fabric is the backing..

Cute label on the back of my repurposed sweatshirt.

A stunning day again...out to the yard with a book.