My Itsy Bitsy Baby Breakthrough

Second top finished of the shirts from my Dear Man.
NO potholders tonight...growth, by my standards.
IMHO

Owl backing...as my dear man was very wise.

My girl Emily got the first shirt quilt with Lotta Janstotter backing,
 I gave it to her this Christmas.
Batted with wool,it is very comfy.  It is wiggled by machine.
She already has it on her bed..

I will use wool batting for mine as well.  So hoping that my quilting friends will help tie it.
Wool batting on Fabric.com is the cheapest price.
(with my awesome gift card from Cousin Ann).

Other than that I am so done with Fabric.com. Their prices are no longer competitive, their sales are awful.
Sad that things have to change like that...Down hill after Amazon bought them.
Oh, well maybe the new year will bring changes for the better.

Tonight I can see the stars.
Even though it is raining.

Who Would Have Known???

Saved, Saved against the dying of the light...

by the lowly, midnight potholder.

I cannot think, I cannot create, I oversleep and overeat....

But, I can survive on potholders.

And, then too...I am saved, by the cleverness of a 6 year old girl.

 You see, Santa brought her a double stroller due to her many dollies.

She can fit a family of three in that stroller..Two in the front and one in the back.

Ahhhh....There is more...
Can you see Ms Clever and her mini-I-Pad resting on the canopy???.

New generation girl..
Multitasking as she reads the cake baking channel for girls..

Who would have known???

The Joy and the Jingle

Ok..there were a few mishaps....just gotta be sometimes.

.Santa's hat got caught in the fireplace door as he went back up the chimney...
Does that mean...he will definitely be back next year??

 Dylan is five.  Christmas joy is just his style!!

 
 Looking into this big ol' Lego box...He just cannot get over it...

 My soon (or later)  to be son-in-law...made this tree.
 I love it.
Isn't it nice that Mr. O'Quilts son-in-law has the same hobby!
Both so good and clever!!

D-I-L brought me flowers.  She said that I had told her...never go to someone's house with an empty hand....Really??..Can you believe that at 30 she remembered the lecture I gave her when she was 20..
.Soo happy:)
Because there was a time, back then, when she told me to just write a book because she was tired of listening.to those lectures....We have come a long way ...Baby!!!!

 Tonight I finished up the potholders that the kids made for our Stephanie.
Tomorrow's treat!

 And last and so special...the bird houses the children made at Ms Beth's house.
Special just for Grandma...
Touching my heart...once again..with love.

Merry Christmas

In the Spirit of Christmas

One more day of Happy Christmas...hoping the spirit lasts this upcoming year.

Christmas can be exhausting...here..Lynsey and Zoe share the comfort of each other.

 Christmas color....Emily made Great-Grandma's cookies...the frosting was up to me.

 Christmas Eve table set with our tradition..waiting for our comforting  family meal

Torch now passed from Great-Grandma to me to Emily...So wonderful

 Gotta have those Christmas crackers!

 Evan says that there are nine reindeer including Rudolf...Someone at my house is confused.

Tigger is thinking of adding the tenth....just thinking....

There are enough carrots after all.

And so it went last night...amidst my fears and tears

There was laughter and joy.... with Christmas coming after all.

xxoo

And the Greatest of these is Love....

Christmas Eve has reminded me that it is all worth while after all

I have cried so much these past years but rarely have cried with joy.

The present tonight from my Evan...floored me.

Unbeknownst to me Evan had cut this Christmas fabric and sewn it by hand.

He then put in $20 of his own money for me to go to the fabric store.

All by himself..a secret...from a 10 year old boy.

He gets $5 a week allowance.

He was so excited to give it to me.  He insisted that his present be last for me to open.

Love comes back when you are not even looking.

My cup runneth over!!  Tears of joy!!
Tonight at the Christmas dinner we lighted a candle for Granddaddy..
Family presents tonight...Santa in the morning...

Mr. O'Quilts would be pleased that we still had Christmas.
Even more pleased that our girl made it happen.

Could I have this Dance by Ann Murray

Merry Christmas...

Merry Christmas to all..
Merry Christmas my love...
Christmas 2014
What a difference a year makes.

 My girl and the grands

 Oh my love....

Together yet so far apart...

Our two separate journeys...sigh..
I love you so..

The colors of grief are mostly dark.

The personal truth about grief.

.uncontrollable.... rapid waves... high mountains... low seas.

The struggle for survival in a new and strange land.

I had a very nice day today...breakfast with a wise friend

Dinner with my girl...a bit of shopping and laughter..

Christmas all ready.

Then...wham...here it comes...late at night.

I get anxiety.  I do not want to go to bed.

I want to eat junk food.

I feel like I cannot survive.

I concentrate on the fears.

My husband

My mother

My only son.

I feel weak.

I feel terrified.

There is no one to steady my boat.

Only me...and the godly universe..

I am forcing myself to leave the house in the daytime.

I must force myself to go to bed in the night.

Move along Mrs. O'Quilts

The savior of all things stitched...

Bye bye dentist...Retiring at 75...cuz his wife wants time with him...he will soon be 76!

He had said that his wife loved the tooth potholder I had made last year.
She said it was the right shape and the perfect fit, etc.
Zoomed right up to his office today with his retirement gift....for his wife!!
She loves crossword puzzles..
Voila, 4 potholders specially made.
I have 3 left from my weekend therapy project.

 Some people like to use these as trivets...or mug-rugs...
Just wondering if I should leave the hangers off??
For multi-purpose.??

 With Christmas sewing finished...tonight I experimented.
Just knowing that someone hand stitched this vintage doily,
 pushed in me..... the re-purposing button!!
Tonight I experimented with a small potluck dish cover.
 The lining is made of Rip-stop which does not fray.
An extra stitch around secured it to the back...
It is a bit funky..
But, I will still use it to bring something small to a potluck dinner.
I cannot bear not to save all things stitched.

Just a fun little experiment!!

 Tonight my girl and I had awesome Lebanese food out.
Stopping in Michael's for 50% off Christmas, I found these adorable papers.
Marked Christmas, but perfect for Valentine's day.
I love that kind of sale.

 Grands are coming back from cousins tomorrow night.
Preparing for the fun and fury.
Little children on Christmas.
They are my loves.

It is a Sunday night and .....

The friendship tray outreach from CMQG is  most rewarding.
To someone else's orphan block, I added the green stripe, the batting and the back to make
the placemat.... 12.5x16.5.
Interesting, quick, useful and happy.

Fighting Christmas despair without my love.  First Christmas..ugh

Trying to quell the waves by making potholders.

A better fix seemed to be when I found Evan's peppermint Oreos.

I swallowed them all whole.  ALL of them.
Poor Evan...cannot even trust his grandma.

Alas...I still feel despair ...
Plus an uneasy stomach..
Plus an uneasy conscience.

Jeeze, Mrs. O'Quilts....Indeed, what is wrong with you???

Staying on the Light Side

Starting with the pretty.
.Lynsey at Aunt Brandy's Christmas celebration

I took a risk tonight and went to a party given by a member of my widows' group.

It was delightful to be with fellow travelers.

I was invited to another party, my dear man and I had gone to for 15 years..
Me thinks that these folks were mostly the Mister's friends..
.as things have shown themselves in my eight months a widow.

I am delighted to have choices, and to have friends of my own.

Now, I am now safely at home, checking off my evening's goals.

I am all snug, locked in my house with my new security system.

I have my Annie Oakley shotgun, my Zoe and my 5 new Pit bulls. 

 Pit bulls are big in North Carolina!!

Tonight's goal for self:

Put 2 or 3 things in a Goodwill bag.

Make a potholder.

Organize a bit of my sewing room.

Drink red wine.

My girl has paid some of my bills, done paperwork for insurance for my robbery and made her yummy version of Italian tortellini soup. She found my winter coats, took Zoe for a ride....
 and told me to go sew when she found me moping.
I love her so much.
  I am so grateful for a somewhat normal...ha ha..member of my family.

I am promising self not to go to the dark side tonight...

listening to love songs or checking the local jails for signs of my son.

Red wine.....Check
Goodwill....Check
Red wine...Check
Clear a space...Check
Red wine...Check
Potholders...Check
I found a box labeled. "made fabric" with scraps already sewn together.
Perfect for a Saturday night scrap potholder fest.

 I have cleaned off Evan's sewing table..(not telling where I put my stuff)
Poor thing asked to use my sewing machine last time cuz his was covered with my mess.
Trying to role model respect...not doing too well.

And, so it goes...bed time before I relapse
xxoo

Oh, Dear...she lied...OMG
On the way to bed, she found this:
The Equilter once a year sale...
I talked it over with my dear man and he said Merry Christmas:)

Such Awesome Clever

Interesting birthday presents from interesting people;

From Muggs...comes cute little pin dishes...nail polish marbling tute here

Terri brought us all  Triangular thread catchers  So adorable.

Sherry found this awesome deal at IKEA

OMG  my heart beat strong and fierce.

50 canvas scrap pack..challenging my imagination.

I cannot wait till Christmas is over to work on this one..

A  potholder from my sister.

  

 a fat quarter from MP with the appropriate words...ha!!

 And Marie...one I do not have

Evidently Kathylynn does not think that the wine glasses I have are large enough..OMG

The total joy ribbon necklace handmade by...xxoo Terri

 

Creative folks surround me!!

M&Ms from Muggs that are MISSING!!!  Emily????

Continuing in creativity is 5 year old Dylan.

He took my I-pad into the empty TV box.

He shut the door with the bench and played games in peace.

Oh...Dylan..King of clever!!!!

And...from Katie...the best fabric gift card ever...

Here...now...the dark starts coming.

Trying to capture the essence before the uncontrollable despair kicks in.

Especially without my chocolate!!!!

A lovely few days.

Life...Keanu Reeves...and us.

HI Honey....here is someone else like you...all healthy and such...sorry my love.

So, so sorry.

Keanu Reeves Online 22 hrs · "My friend's mom has eaten healthy all her life. Never ever consumed alcohol or any " bad" food, exercised every 
day, very limber, very active, took all supplements suggested by her doctor, never went in the sun without sunscreen and when she did it was for as short a period as possible- so pretty much she protected her health with the utmost that anyone could. She is now 76 and has skin cancer, bone marrow cancer and extreme osteoporosis. My friend's father eats bacon on top of bacon, butter on top of butter, fat on top of fat, never and I mean never exercised, was out in the sun burnt to a crisp every summer, he basically took the approach to live life to his fullest and not as others suggest. He is 81 and the doctors says his health is that of a young person. People you cannot hide from your poison. It's out there and it will find you so in the words of my friend's still living mother: " if I would have known my life would end this way I would have lived it more to the fullest enjoying everything I was told not to!" None of us are getting out of here alive, so please stop treating yourself like an after thought. Eat the delicious food. Walk in the sunshine. Jump in the ocean. Say the truth that you’re carrying in your heart like hidden treasure. Be silly. Be kind. Be weird. There’s no time for anything else.".

For the Love of Ms. Katie

Here we are, Ms.Katie and me.....fabric nutcases as you can see.

 Evan insisted on making her a pillowcase...tute here.
 He picked  out the fabric..sewed the seams

 Did the ironing to perfection

Voila!!

 All for Ms. Katie who helps him with school work, self-esteem and so much more!!

 Lynsey too....a potholder to say "Thank you"

As Ms Katie builds up her confidence with reading and brings her snacks at school.

I love Ms Katie as well..I made her a casserole cover/carrier.
She helps the grands and she listens to our big picture.
She suggests as a fix:
Two Buck Chuck red wine...from  Trader Joe's..lol

Our whole family says:

Merry Christmas Ms. Katie and Thank you so much!
xxoo