Grandma O'Quilts Gets out of her Box

Here we go again...Boo comes downstairs to check out the tree.
He just loves the season!

Something new for Sherry's birthday

The Peekaboo Pouch

 It is hard to see here...vinyl is hard to photograph.

This pouch has a zippered bottom pouch and a zipper free top pouch

 For the first time ever I put in plastic snaps.

Online I ordered the below set...easy and fun.
plastic snap set

Kids in front of the tree at their mother's house.
See baby Ava...8 months old, doing so well..

The saying I need to live by
Trying hard.


My son cooked the entire Thanksgiving dinner.
I am so proud.
He is fragile as he emerges from his ghosts..
He is brave and strong and true.

My girl plays her tin whistle at least 3 times a week at Irish pubs in Portland..
She just loves music......
To the joyful heart of her mother..she is now setting up her own sewing room,
and...has set up a sit and sew in Portland...my heart...

Need a bit of motivation here. making something new and creative...using my best fabric.
Like Mr. O'Quilts used to say..
"Hello Goodwill store....She died...come get her best fabric
She just could not bear to use it."
Sherry's birthday present,  the Peekaboo Pouch was a start.

Tomorrow it will be 24 degrees in Charlotte...brrr

More  Help for quilting fire victims in Paradise

And So the Season Begins

My son is cooking...sweet potatoes mashed and ready
stuffing made and ready...He went off to Aldi
for missing onions and ice cream.
No onions and no potatoes left at Aldi!!
None at all..
WOW

From scrap oilcloth pieces comes a new recorder case for Lynsey
She supervised as the machine zigzagged the scraps together.
It has a small handle and Velcro inside.
Lynsey's lesson...we do not buy what we can make ourselves!!

Thank you Linda for the adorable scraps below!!

 Feeling energetic on my newly found Prozac, I headed off to JoAnn's
Black Friday sale.
I mean Black Wednesday sale.
No crowds and flannel for $2.06 a yard.

There were hundreds of bolts, but I was prudent..
Pillowcases for gifts..maybe even jammie bottoms for Lynsey and her doll to match.

.I had a car accident/incident yesterday.
They blamed me as I was changing lanes.
I say that the kid was changing lanes too and
drove up beside me fast on the right..(no one hurt)
His mirror...BMW went missing.
I say he is 17 and inexperienced.
He says I am 70 and an old lady
Jeeze Louize

I hope it was not me.
I hope I am not losing my mind..
I took two days worth of meds in one day last week and
totally wigged out.
I took the children for their flu shots
and left the keys in the car and the car running.
I used to be perfect, but no one remembers that at all..
But me!!
Guess there might be a tiny bit of stress around here.


That being said...The day was lovely ...leaves of all colors.
with Carolina blue skies..
Gratitude abounds.
Mr O'Quilts for sure is taking care of our Eamon.
There is warmth in my soul.

A peaceful and Happy Thanksgiving to all of you, my friends.

How to help the fire victim quilters in California

Humble Quilts

This Day of Mine.

Looking over my day at the Guild sit and sew..
I finished 5 potholders...Now I have 26 ready for the holidays.

 Worked on a few Delectable Mountain blocks.

Dropped everything, thread, instructions...etc, spilled my diet coke, cried, ironed a
sore onto the table that was not mine and had to have everyone help me
like I was an old woman in pain...But laughed in the comfort of friends.

Whatever...Last year, as you know, I asked Santa to make me a bit younger
and a bit less achy, but oh,, no he could not be bothered.
I will try again this year.
I am so very grateful for Linda and Kathy and all their help today. ...

Meantime, my messy  sewing room has attracted Lynsey and her
school project.  The assignment is to design her teacher's new condo.
The students are to furnish  it and give the measurements.
It is a math and creativity project.
My grandgirl is having a great time, cutting and pasting and creating.
She even brought down her cool pillow for creating comfort.

 Into the small sewing room, came Zoe and her bed..

Thanksgiving is about love and family.
I am letting the children go with their mother to her large family gathering.
It is good for the children.

Here at home, there will be a small gathering.
My sister and my son.
My son wants to learn the cooking. He will be great at it.
The empty hole is Mr. O'Quilts...
He always cooked the dinner.
It will be different.
It brings a tear or two to my eye.
Change is hard, Love is everything.

Christmas will be here soon...
My daughter and son will be home.
The children will be with us then..

Check out both links below for  a happy happy night.

The Scarf Project

Elton John Holiday commercials...
xo

Happy Thanksgiving.

Nothing but Happy

Rosie enjoying the purple sofa and the back drop of my
100 year old strippy quilt from Oklahoma...
Rosie enjoying her life in Portland with my daughter and SIL

Here:  Cat love..

The greatest of presents from the loveliest of friends.

A kitty cat bag...love xoxo

Our now very political Queen Bee...too much fun
I am Woman, Hear me Roar...
We b sewing and fighting for woman everywhere....good for us!!

Karen's quilt

Karen did free motion in the corners...

Karen in the green.

I have to wear compression stockings for my edema I found these
cool and awesome nurses stockings online...
Evidently they are not the kind I am supposed to wear.
Evidently I am not a nurse.
I was trying to beat the system!

'
Just lovin' Azteca today with my fellow travelers...Two B's and me.
My daughter at Anna Maria Horner lecture at Portland MQG
Her jealous ma...getting just a picture, that's all....

Thursday, our Friends in Stitches group met
We are ending our meetings for awhile
Let's see what the new year brings.
We made 7 quilts for Hospice.!!!
Great idea Jackie....now we just might be on to pillowcases!!

After lunch today, I wandered into World Market.
The turkey crackers were 50% off...so we will do turkey at Christmas this year.
So clever...Grandma O'Quilts...so thrifty!!!++

 Last year the chocolate advents calendars were all gone.
This year Grandma is on it....$1. 45  Wahoo.

 I could not resist this plate...thinking of you...my Swedish grandma.

All happy stuff...We are humming along.
Tomorrow the Guild Sit and Sew...Hopefully
I will get a quilt finished for the holidays.

Just FYI
We are all so much better with Daddy back living with us.
xo

The Parts Department and Such

My new grand dog, Rosie!!!!

Arrived yesterday to her home in Portland

4 months old, half Australian/German shepherd....

Just visited with her on Face time tonight

She is a rescue from northern California.

 Of my favorite books ever.

 1.5 inch strips all organized so nicely.

by my mountain friends in Tennessee..

 Tonight was a parts department night.

 Into a parts department box for future funky quilt use.

Should have been working on holiday things.

Should have been working on potholders.

But, this was way more fun.

 About two years ago, I cut off the collar of an old sweat shirt.

I was thinking of black and white striped for the edging..but never

had the energy to do it...Wouldn't you know after finally the finish..I hate it!!!!
Good thing it is an old ratty shirt.

 Warm and Natural batting is on bolt at Walmart online/
A big surprise to me.
So afraid that the extra import taxes in the new year will put batting way out of my budget
In my mind,  this was the best price.  It is already $50 more than when I bought it last time.
There is no tax and free shipping.

Our vicarious trip to London...awesome thanks to Amy from Diary of a Quilter
Look at this post of  Liberty of London ..
 I was there 40 years ago...did not see any
quilts hanging from the banisters,
.But, there was no Victoria Findlay Wolfe back then...
Lucky me received some of those yummies from our Cousin Ann, a few years back.

From  Wanda comes Jerry's prizewinning quilt
and...Merrill's quilt
Both stunning.

Bocelli and Sheeran..such  a remarkable video....I play it a lot.
Wish my mother was here..Andre Bocelli was her favorite.
It must be something for 27 year old Sheeran to be playing with the famous 60 year old Bocelli.
And...to have Bocelli singing Sheeran's song...and in Italian..
The smile on Ed's face tells it all.
Talk about relaxation...I watch this video often.

It has really been a lovely day...meeting with friends
My son helping to  bring in the plants for tonight's freeze.
The low in the morning will be 27 degrees.
Relaxation for me is sitting outside under my tree reading.
Looks like Old Man Winter will not be allowing that tomorrow.

Has anyone beside  Kara  read Educated.  I am far down on the library list.  Supposed
to read it for a book club.  Now I wonder if  it is too traumatic for me.
Let me know...I do not need more drama in my life.

Dear Mr. O'Quilts

I know you know and I know you know that I know. 

 We are getting better and standing on our own two feet.

It is being done in the shelter of each other.

This view from my sewing room has always comforted me.
Fall is leaving and winter is coming.
The natural seasons in life.

I bought myself a present the other day...on a Craftsy sale.
The $11.95 Aurifil thread...here:  $8 a spool. Since I  belong to Blueprint (Craftsy)
Shipping was free...I love free shipping!!!

I am thrilled with the thread..I know that you would say..
"Good going, My Dear So worth it if it makes you happy".!!!

Last night, Lynsey came into the sewing room announcing
that she wanted to make her doll a uniform for school.
She selected a "pillowcase dress"  Evidently in the school that
the doll goes to, butterflies are in.

This grand of mine, loves to iron.
I remember when she would get to iron as a reward
for learning her multiplications.

The dress is done, but a few items.
She wants a label in the back of the dress so it looks real.
And the hem length has not yet been decided on..
Lynsey refused my help...
Thus...a bit of seam ripping.was necessary.

Show and tell tonight at my Wednesday quilting group!!.
She is so proud

 
pillowcase doll dress

Check out this link for donations to:
NC Hurricane Relief...by My Carolina Home

Then:....
from poet, Mizuta Masahide

Barns burnt down

now

I can see the moon

Happy Birthday Mr.O'Quilts

Enjoy your journey, my love.

xoxo

Grandma O'Scrap

Thank you Carol for getting me out of here for lunch.

I loved meeting your friends...and of course, the cause!!

From leftover pieces of oilcloth..zigzagged together. I made a pencil case for Lynsey.

It is crude...no finishing touches...fastened with Velcro

and filled with pencils.

Sticking it in her backpack tonight for a surprise.

Here is our girl with a bag I made for a refugee girl from Somalia

Lynsey was so kind to donate some books.

But, when I suggest that she also donate one of her new packages 

of pencils, she started to cry...NO!! Not my pencils..!

We did not know what had come over her.

She said that she loved pencils and that the children in her fourth

grade class just broke them...She  hated that so much...

Thus the above new pencil case with sharpened pencils and pop on erasers.

Eamon had a ratty pillow with the stuffing coming out.

He wanted to dump it...not so fast, I said...

Covered with a soft flannel scrap....it is more than fine....

 Bound this quilt for Hospice tonight.

Using up the scraps..

Our Friend in Stitches group.

Starr quilted it, I just finished it..

The picture is more funky than the quilt.

The eve of the election fills  me with angst!!!

Gotta sew and sew and sew.

Solid Disappearing Nine Patch Finish...Good Job Grandma

How many ways can you celebrate done...finished...a wonderful feeling

1. Just missing the thread snips and the washing,
2. then ready for gifting. 

 Good girl Zoe...quilt worshiping😇😇

 I have two quilting rooms, but oh, no..that is not enough

Here I am trimming for the binding on the screened in porch

A table is permanently set there for this.

The other rooms are too messy with other projects.

 This has been a great weekend for the children

Lynsey especially loves to play alone in her room.

She has to have her hummus snacks up there because she

is behind on her lesson plans.. See, she teaches her dolls!

She plays with her doll house and rearranges her room

She makes up stories and reads books to her cat.

Tonight she asked her daddy to play dolls with her and he did.

According to the parent/teacher meeting . the Friday news

for Dylan, is that he has been elected mayor of his class.

Evan's grades are good and his behavior is better. He is the  king

of friends....he listed about 10 friends the other day.  He is our social man.

After my son went to church, ..he put away the Halloween things with his children 

I took still another nap...

I have a TV problem.  Since I ditched cable to save money.

I cannot watch the sappy Hallmark holiday movies. I know that they all end the same,

but they are so relaxing.  I can sew and not miss a thing...lol

I have no book to read...a good reason...early voting is so intense that a person can
hardly drive near the library for voting...I will be patient..voting is important!!
Oh...I forgot, I have books downloaded on my I-Pad...wonderful news...to me..

I was raised in an Air Force family.
Today I can feel..."Off we go into the wild blue yonder...."

Feeling the good feel.

A person can love the Air Force and still be anti-war.

Just sayin.....