The Adrenaline Rush

When I am frightened or angry.....I get the highly functional adrenaline rush....so here is today's boy cuddle for the hospital.  Again...found... mush mash... random four patches ready to quilt up and donate.  The Guild is always short on cuddles for boys.

The Lost and Found Game Ad Nauseam....

 I have found in a drawer, 36 pinwheels left over from the zigzag quilt I have not yet finished (: ...Fine, I accept that instead of finishing the zigzag, I used my time making pinwheels out of the scraps.

What to do, what to do????  Who knows??  Maybe just a traditional white speckled alternate blocks..or maybe something more funky....or maybe two different baby quilts??  I would like to decide so I can work on it on my retreat...

PS. PS. PS.

This was quick....how about my dearly beloved and coveted orange and white polka dots for a kinda vintage look!

Getting a grip...almost

I have been wanting to make a Lego table for the grands, but couldn't find the perfect fit.  Finally, I dug out this cheap tray from IKEA.  I marked the Lego piece with a sharpie and cut it with my paper scissors.   Next step is to rubber cement it down.  Easy to use and easy to store.  I see that Tigger has more interest in the upcoming dog and cat fight than in posing for my picture.  Now, back to sewing.....

Hiddenite

Thank you Terri for quilting this quilt.  I had forgotten about it and Terri had forgotten about it.  Then Terri remembered.  When she brought it, I remembered...so I am naming it Hiddenite!  This of course is a gem found in North Carolina and a town's name in North Carolina.  It has nothing  at all to do with being hidden.  It just sounded right to me.  See the cool Kaffe shot cotton teal on the back:)  Once again, this is a nine patch cut on the diagonal and mixed up...

 I got totally carried away here snapping our Knock Out roses in the back of my house.  In the front of the house, Mr. O'Quilts planted, and nurtured and loved five of them.....Evidently so did the deer, in spite of his spraying repellent.  All the blooms have been eaten right off in a tasty midnight snack attack.

And now a lovely collection of thrift shop finds by Deb Rowden....thrifting...so dear to my heart!!

And this cool post about the work of Priscilla Bianchi.  Guatemala is one of my favorite countries in the world to visit...must be the color:)

Still more...Lily's Quilts has two Sarah Fielke shorts on techniques.  Check it out.

Was going to do Finish it up Friday with Crazy Mom Quilts, but I see she is moving and may not have it today... ooooo  I was wrong:)...Linking it up to Ms. Persistence at Crazy Mom Quilts!!  Also linking up with
Nina Marie

Holding on by a thread......

Some of life's despair just cannot be fixed with needle and thread.  However, that having been said, it is surely better to keep on sewing than not!!!!!  

I am resuming some work on my political medallion quilt.  These letters have been basted for needle turned applique.  I used Pat Sloan's alphabet.  Thanks to you Pat, this was easy as pie.

ABC and Fabric.com

Up goes the next project for the trip...ABC quilt...better late than never...I have had these awhile.  My grands are 3, 4 and 7... Actually, I think I got them when the 7 year old arrived....Bad Grandma...

There is stress here...gotta get rid of it right now....Fabric.com seems to be the answer with an additional 15% off if you shell out $75.....It just has to work...life is short...

Adding this in as I am back from a break.  Now I am going to package it up for my trip...fun!

 I had to cut so many choices before I could decide...into the 1.5 inch bin they go....quickly, before still another mess is born!!

Auditioning Granny

I am auditioning corner posts for my Granny block.  I think they may make the eye move around the quilt too much. Getting projects ready for the retreat at the end of the month.  Grateful for my friends who make it possible for me to go!!

This hoarded cool batik from Asheville seems to be better.

Sharing this cool clip on art.  I loved it.

Stanka Kordic, Art 

Today Mr. O'Quilts has turned on our air conditioning.  The time has finally come.

London Process

Look at me having fun!

Today was a fine day!!  All the family drama put aside... time to remember that I , too, have a life.

  Starting with last night, Mr.O'Quilts and I did an early dinner out...out...out...perfect! Portofino's...Thank u Drenna!  

Today, I went to the Guild sit and sew.  There were hardly 10 people there which made for a super relaxing day.  I worked on my London Olympic's quilt with the cuts that Marie brought home for me from her London visit.  Today I made all the four patches!! 

 I worked on some of the lattice for my Granny squares,

 Then started the middle strips on a number of patches for my Chevron string quilt.

Made a few new friends and relaxed...wonderful! 

Sharing below my cool find at Hancock's fabric store.  This past Wednesday I showed up for the Wendover solid sale.  I needed white and I love this Hancock's Wendover white even better than Kona white. 

 Of course, they also had a "blowout" sale.  I saw this print below for $3 a yard and thought it would be great as a backing of a hospital cuddle quilt.  At the cutting table the lady said that it had been marked wrong...It was really 79 cents a yard...wooooohoooo....that and my 15% off senior discount (on the first and third Wednesdays of the month)...made for a pretty grand deal.  I bought some Mary Ellen's Best Press with my 40% off Hobby Lobby coupon plus the 15% off...and I must say that I was happy on Wednesday too.

Springs Industries in Fort Mill, SC had a big sale last weekend and I did not know about it.  Usually one of the Guilds posts it but I seem to have missed it...sad...a missed chance...maybe next year. (U know that there is never enough fabric opportunities!!!)

Happy Mother's Day and such

Happy Mother's Day Mom...I enjoyed sitting in the sun with you this morning.  I am so grateful.  Ninety two seems to suit you:)

Mother's Day reminds me of my grandmother too.  She was born in 1896 and she died in 1996 clear minded and clever as always..  She always lived with us, cooking for us, inspiring us and making memories.  When she died, I found among her things binders of untried clipped recipes.  I dumped them.  Now, here I am, two generations removed,  with my own big bag of clipped recipes....

No more.  I am trying them out and putting the ones I like into my Evernote.  My quilting tutes are there as well.  I am reducing clutter and when I bite the dust..my relatives will just have to push the delete button on my computer!  Tonight I have a new stew cooking away in Grandma's old caste iron pot.

As for my Mother's Day...three grandchildren finding a baby turtle and taking it back to the creek to find its  own Mommy, with Granddaddy, was the best!!

Back to quilting...always back to quilting.

These blocks now have their name, Granny squares.  The great tute is from Bee in my bonnet.  Memory  help came from friends at.....Smazoochie  and  Patchwork daily desire.  Thank u both sooo much..  My foggy mind must come from the concussion..certainly could not be from age...sigh...

.In the peace of the evening, I have been playing around with the blocks...What do you all think???

A wonderful Mother's Day here in Charlotte.

The party and such...

I made a laminated changing pad for Sherry's grandmother party...So excited to find adorable Cat in the Hat fabric here at the Fat Quarter shop.  One yard purchase made two changing pads.  The key to sewing with laminate is to spray baste the layers together...I self bound.  It was done in about 45 min.

How can Sherry be old enough to be a grandma?????

Looking around my sewing room I took out a project box.  Sure enough, inside a project box was a project....WOW...  I do remember how easy these blocks were and the old name..Album block.  But the new name and the tutorial source is so lost.  If anyone can help me..please do.   ooo Thx...here it is from :  Bee in My Bonnet

The grandchildren had a great time with free fun at our house yesterday taking turns going down the hill.

Irish twins having a snack.

 And Pat Bravo  xxoo    Here we go again....Bijoux.  Art Gallery Fabrics.  I love you Pat Bravo.

My Happy Life

Tiggy is no Milito...but...at 10 years old,  he is trying to fill the gap.  He is a Carnegie Mellon cat, brought home on an airplane by my dear daughter when she was in college.  Here sleeps Tiggy with me...My daughter is hiking on the Italian Riviera....sigh..

 A tree in our yard...I think it is older than I am...that brings some comfort..ha!

 Irises...from the days when I thought that fabric was not enough.  I went nuts on mail order Irises...now they grow  without my help.  Just being beautiful on their own.

 Cherry tomatoes in the front garden amongst the weeds.  Mr. O'Quilts is spraying for deer.

 On this...again..rainy day in Charlotte...my joy and I have fun.....My Ibuproben, my diet Coke, my Pandora, my cool and awesome Janome and red and white strips found whilst cleaning my mess.

 I know that red and white is so last year..but I love it.  Thought I would try out this tute from Rachel.  I see that I need to watch the slant direction.  I used the computer paper that I had on hand...8.5 by 11...and am just having fun..and using my scraps.

I drew a line on 8 papers one diagonal and on 8 the other way, glued the center strip on the line..and now..4 are done..

Money bags (not my mother) lol

Remember when I made my grandson this candy wrapper tute money pouch from an M&M bag and chalk fabric from here?

Well, some of the Easter eggs came in this bag...so my granddaughter got one too:)

Hello Kitty fabric from JoAnn's for the inside lining.

And as she gets earning her money and writing...she too, can add up the money she has.

We have done it for years...Making new fabric from scraps...the pioneer women who needed to make do, Gwen Marston and the liberated quilts and now, Victoria.  I think that the 15 Min of play with Victoria is such a great idea..so doable.

A few more pix here of dear ol' ma...Joe Nicholson singing Happy Birthday wearing the funky bday glasses that my sister found.

Mom resting up before the big shindig...

Sam's Club has been making my mother's birthday cakes for 11 years now...yum!

Guess who is 92..............

Happy 92nd Birthday to my dear ol' Ma!!!  Cinco de Mayo!!!!

 So, now Mother...which picture did you say I should post on my blog??  Oh, both of them... At 92, whatever you want!!  I love you so....xxoo

The cake is ordered...the party is soon, but I can see you have started without me:)

Friday Fun

During the worst of my concussion recovery last fall, I was feeling really sorry for self.  So, I asked a friend to pick up an IKEA sewing machine for me.  Anything sewing is just the panacea, isn't it!!  Unfortunately, the machine was a lemon.   Mr.O'Quilts and I took a ride yesterday to return it.  This resulted in a lovely orange IKEA store debit card for $69 immediately burning a hole in my pocket...hmmm   Sharing here... pictures of my finds...

 Very large orange polkadots..

 Of course, I didn't catch my breath before taking part in the  Fat Quarter Shop Sale.  I am a dot lover...

My mother has been loosing a lot of friends lately.  She thinks that these little coin purses make good bereavement gifts.  I am whipping them out  like potholders.  Somehow, they do make folks happy.  I cut these out last night and made them up today.