Mrs. O'Quilts carries on....

Karen...Lynsey wants you to know how much she loves your quilt!!

Grandma O'Quilts has been at 4 Sit and Sews this month.
Taking quick sewing pieces which have added up to quilts.
Random piecing with whites...so much fun.

 
The one patch = the 4 patch = the 16 patch..
Random with browns..love...

The Charlotte Modern Quilt Guild
is one of my very favorite monthly meetings.
This time we had a wonderful speaker.
Cheryl Brinkey from Meadow Mist Designs
She is a chemical engineer by trade and...
a quilter by passion

 I could not resist her book when she threw in a free pattern too.

Always needing a fun pattern for jelly rolls...

Every time we asked a question, she gave us a free spool of thread.
Mouthy me...collected quite a few.
Two of these are wool spools to try...
The red spool on the far right, I must have dropped in my driveway....
Evidently it holds a new shape because I drove over it with my car.....OMG

With great recommendation, I got Making Faces from Amazon.
If I am going to eat tuna every night for dinner,
I might as well be well read.

A lovely fat quarter my sister found at Walmart!!

Out of the very blue, a grief wave has come crashing...Jeeze Louize...
This new life of mine is unpredictable..
Knowing something is one thing.
Feeling it is another.
I just knew I was so strong now???  Guess not..
...though...I knew that the month of May would be rough.
It is not even May.
Tomorrow tooth will be pulled...and I even have to pay for it..

Cinco de Mayo....my mother's birthday..always so festive.
May ninth, my mother's death day.
May 23rd,  my husband's diagnosis day....the monster ALS.
I remember making the poor neurologist cry when I pleaded with her
to take back that awful diagnosis...Motor Neurone disease...
June first is our anniversary.

I am three years passed the death day..
I can see him in his flannel shirt, and not the Hoyer lift.
I can walk.
But, I cannot control the life, the grief, the age.
and so much more...
I am enjoying the day.
My feet are beneath my head.
I am on my own side of the street.
I am doing the best I can...and..
I am grateful.
xo

PS  Holly Field thank you for your comment.

I cannot leave a comment, nor follow you because there is not

an email address and I am not on Google plus.

The Sun Shines in Charlotte..

This afternoon found me at Karen's garage sale.
I just could not believe she was selling her family quilt
that she slept under in college...
Me, the savior, snatched it up. hand pieced/ hand quilted
Soon, it will be right on Lynsey's bed.
Like she needs a quilt or something!!!!
For  me, love at first sight.

The minute, I took out the camera...Stitch tried to claim the quilt!!!

 What do you mean it is not mine????

A great finish for MP...four years of stitching..and she has her queen size
quilt for her mountain house.
The wonderful Terri...did the long arm bit.

 
Just the binding left and she is done. Talk about an awesome scrap quilt.
You go MP!!

I got this book on Amazon...written by my friend Katrina.
It is life and loss with ALS/Motor Neurone Disease.

I may not read it.
I may read it...and then, I  may not.
I am still get weak and dizzy on this subject.
Three years out, but the pain and anxiety remain.

This morning found me at the optometrist...
Yup, you guessed it...Grandma O'Quilts needs...
new glasses $$$$$
Yesterday found me at the dentist..
Yup, $$$$$ needed for my tooth repair will be way too enormous.
Root canal, post, crown..etc.
I have decided to just pull the tooth...OMG, it has come to this....
First name basis with my oral surgeon.
First name basis with my eye doctor...at least she sews!!!

Grandma O'Quilts is tough as nails.

My darlings have become bossy and mouthy.

The oldest two are always right..
I am sure the youngest is right behind them, learning fast.

By the time we all get out for the school bus, by 7 am..

I am way too exhausted.

It is not weakness that sends this 70 year old back

for a nap...It is survival...!!!

And, so it goes...a lovely day and a Sit and Sew tomorrow.

Amazing Grace

Baby Ava is home from the hospital already.
Diagnosis Saturday morning at 9:30.
In hospital ICU by 10:15..
ICU and operation Sunday morning.
Mother and baby sent home today, Tuesday.
Modern medicine is a miracle..
Baby has a shunt.
Both are doing well..

I guess worry is while I am so irritable tonight.
Or is it all the medicinal chocolate I have been eating..ugh..
On to sewing.

 Evan owed me some time for his behavior...Tonight  he filled bobbins.
He did all the reds and yellows to complete my bobbin stash.
Friday night he did all the greys and whites!!
When I find more bobbins, he will do pinks.
Amn't I so lucky!!

The above signature album quilt has been sitting around a long time.
the other day, I secured it with straight line stitching.
It  is ready for a bit of free motion now...
I am not good at that...but practice, I hear makes perfection, or progress anyway..
There are a number of blogs motivating me to finish up WIPs or UFOs :)

Worked a bit on the above...Everything sewn together,
but the yellow...It is too dark..ugh..
Funny how we only notice that from a distance.
I want to do slow sewing on this one, because I am quite fond of it..

I thought this post was adorable.
unbelievable necktie stuff..

The Eye of the Storm

A friend of mine finished a quilt, Disappearing nine patch...all made from her late husband's shirts...You go Christine...You did a great job.  It cheers me that she quilts.  It cheers me that she understands...

Yesterday, I had planned a lovely sewing day with my MQG.

Awesome friends, awesome place.
I arranged childcare...and went to my Sit and Sew to uplift the day.

Machine was humming along when I received a distress call from my XDIl.

I love her and we are all family.

The new baby was now in ICU with acquired Hydrocephalus.

She is two and a half weeks old.

You and I both know, that life hangs by a slender string.

She was fine, then bingo...she was not.

This Sunday morning an urgent operation was performed. leaving sweet Ava with

a brain shunt and a catheter that goes from her brain to her stomach.

Evidently crises are still with O'Quilts family.

Working on accepting life on life's terms.

I just love that Evan is so interested in sewing.
I was surprised that Dylan was not.
The boys had never seen a serger before...Dear Ellen showed Evan  how.

I cannot seem to get my sewing focus back.....
Messy room, messy mind..
I could use a bag of Oreos now...
Humming instead..
xo

Just Go Sew!!!!...A Memorial

Today is the third year anniversary of my dear man's death from ALS.

My  broken heart remembers....

I know my dear, that you are not resting in peace.
I know you....You are an angel above helping folks left behind.
Loving you so.
xoxox

Sanity, one stitch at a time

For Margaret's house warming/birthday party.

Small bowl covers...for leftovers...

See tute here on the blog

At Monday's Sit and Sew and chat with friends..
just plain ol' four patch fun.

Monday a four hour Sit and Sew with friends.

Such joy....machines humming along.

Sharing feelings and sewing tips.

Love..

And...another one all day on Saturday with 

Charlotte's Modern Quilt Guild..
Saturday is the 3rd anniversary of my dear man's death from ALS
If I did not have sewing, eating, drinking and friends (not in that order)
OMG  What would have happened to me.

Overcoming a Loss by 1000 Deaths, by Katrina Jefferies

I have ordered her book...my fellow traveler.

I will be so afraid to read it...

It is an ALS book...

Lynsey has strep throat and cannot visit new little two week old sister,
Ava has no immunity at all yet...

And the good news is?????
Grandma O'Quilts is off her cane after 9 months post hip replacement.
And 6  plus ...years before all the surgeries...
Wahoo...I thought I would never walk again.
Just prancing around like I was 25..ha ha ha.
Life is good after all.
xo

Marching to My Own Drum....

Full of energy tonight, the plans were written down.

Clean my sewing room and...

Quilt a basted top...sitting around for .... how long????......

In my AD/HD mind...did that happen..??

On my way to there, I found here..

U will certainly see.

As I started in on the cleaning, I found a plastic bag that my sister had stuffed

scraps into....trying to help me organize.

I opened it up...and found.....Small HST's sewn...and random scraps.

One more day that my suffering mind has no idea where these came from...

 I also found this adorable scrap fish.

I do not know what the ordinary sewist does...

But, this is what I did, forgetting all about my list.
I was short one middle red square for the bigger Churn Dash.
Of course, out of my many solid reds...none matched.
I found a 20 year old print which I had planned to turn to the wrong side.
But, that did not match either, so I kept the printed side..
I mean , really...this was just a scrap project!!

These small blocks are 5" square, I will just put them into my charm box.

The larger one may be perfect with blue stripes in a place mat.

Our Charlotte Modern Quilt Guild makes place mats for meals on wheels.

How cute is this potholder...the backing will be put on..

some other time...hmmmm

This is what I am left with as the midnight hour approaches.

My grandmother embroidered me a small wall hanging.

"Creative minds are rarely tidy"

My grandmother had my number xo

Medallions and Purple Process

The plan here is to put space between the center piece
and the outside borders.
Choosing the feather for the value, not the colors.
For, even though the colors are blue and pink, etc
The value complements the light coral of the first border.
I think, anyway...
Checking the width of the feather border...
It is pinned up, looking for a way to insert the yellow/green, ,maybe
I will make another hour glass block with purple and chartreuse.
I love to work this way.  It is time consuming, but so rewarding.

I used to know where I bought all my fabric and
where it is displayed on my shelves.
Sorry to say that I have lost my touch...and my fabric locating mind.
This is the second day that I have not been able to put my
hand on fabric that I wanted...and knew it was there...someplace.
So frustrating to know that you used to...but not anymore.
Reminders are everywhere...when I had my hair cut last week
My hairdresser of 20 years, put some grey in the back...of my hair.
I swear!!! And I had thought she liked  me.
Reminiscing that I can no longer body surf in the cold Pacific ocean
And I can no longer roller skate, nor ride a bike.
My task is to figure out what I can do now..
Read and sew and lunch and laugh with friends..
Throw in a nap or two..and it sounds so good to me.

I spotted this lovely with the purple flowers.
I had thought it would work, alas, it reads as blue.
And, it is too dark.

I have been relaxing with my 5 days free of grand-darlings.
And, then it hit again...that ALS/G thing, and the distortion that comes with it..
My son texted me not to let anything get in the way of enjoying the day.
Wise advice.

So, made myself check off some lists..
eg, my annual asthma review...I got an A+, no asthma present!!
Went to the store for boring things like air filters...but check!!
Sent out some texts to friends.
Then I read and read and napped.
Tomorrow it will rain all day, says the weather person.
Right up my relaxing alley...
I could start dreading the upcoming back to school week.
But I am not going to...so there!!!

Where ever you go...there you are....M.E.

An afternoon in the sun, reading a book.
Then, woom..bang..swap...clunk...I miss my man.

Cleaning my sewing room...trying to be decently normal...??
I found these blocks...
Ok...We found these blocks.

Lovely dinner out with a friend...
She treated me, not only to dinner...but brought me fabric too!!!

 How darling is this??

 Added to my purple collection...Oh, Dear...my bad...background is  light blue.

 Potholders always save the day....the backs:

 And the fronts...for a last September wedding...
I told you I was on it..

 Pathetic lonely potholder...

 With a piece of my grandmother's table cloth as a backing.

My friend, Margaret...the Cotton Farmer's wife..in Missouri..shared this with me.

We need to stop making our hobbies stressful

The heat has been turned back on, in Charlotte.  The sun has disappeared, leaving a brisk night.
Tomorrow night I might even have to cover the garden with sheets.
Grateful now for my cozy recliner,
for my vino tinto and a good book.
My quilts, my animals and my lovely home..
Understanding friends, and this life of mine.
xo