A Friend in High Places

A long lost visitor  yesterday, my friend....the sun!!

I took my great book outside,  I kept moving my chair..
We followed the sun as the wind blew it behind the waiting tall pine trees..

Here Comes the Sun, Nina Simone

The rain gauge said 3.5 inches, Sunday was 70 degrees F
Totally perfect.after weeks of cold dreary rain.

Why did I leave my knee so long that I can barely walk at all without wincing in pain..

Oh, I do know...my favorite vacation spot is the land of denial and I did not want another surgery.

I moved my ortho appt to April 3, instead of May 3...of course he is booked before then..Ugh.

My crabby disposition was calmed by this:

She is making a mattress for the bed her father made her for her birthday.

She pushed my hand out of the way, sitting herself at the machine.

She put the speed on the lowest in order to sew the perfect quarter inch.

What grandma could be crabby at that??

She turned it herself and stuffed it with leftover wool..

Tomorrow night she will come with me to the CMQG and tie it in place.

 Poor friend Marie has a boo boo on her toe...two surgeries and a boot.

Look what she did for me as she sat around all gloomy..
.My yarn, I am so done with...a scarf for me, one for Lynsey and one for dolly!!
Thank you Marie...I am so lucky you are my friend.

Emily sent me this picture..:

It used to be fun for me to take old animal food bags, converting them into totes.

Emily found this on the ceili dance floor in Portland...Chicken feed bags..lined with rip stop..

She is so dying to have chickens at her house....Himself said NO.

Now...to review my 2019 goals..ha ha ha.
!.  I have been going to the pool one or two times a week. YES
2.  I have gone to every sit and sew possible. YES
3 I quilted the feedsack quilt. YES
4. Grownup me, can now order books online at the library YES
5.  I have been trying to do nice things...( a struggle for the crabby one) YES

6.  AND...minding my own business....I did that twice..
We are almost two months into 2019.
Both instances were early in the morning when my son was getting his children up.
The one yesterday had him quietly telling one of his sons. something.
I strained to hear..I wanted to open the door and find out...
But, I put my head under the pillow and let him deal himself.
I guess I just love to be in the business....
Two times...Guess I have to start somewhere. YES

Before tonight is over, I am going to pull some fabric for a new block.
FUN.

Generational Quilting

Generous Ellen sold me this feed sack top...a few years back.

 I had planned to quilt it in the era from which it came....

However, I have learned my lesson

from my red and white Puss in the Corner Quilt

  

There are some pieces of seersucker in this feedsack quilt...at first I thought ..

.well, that cannot be from this time...

Alas...it can...Wikipedia Seersucker

My lesson comes from:

This red and white Puss in the Corner quilt below originating from Boone, NC,
 said the dealer from whom I purchased it

for $15...perfect condition, about 7 years ago.

In order to pay it the honor due, I carefully chose a reproduction backing from around the turn of the 20th century

My friends tied it for me on a Wednesday night because hand quilting is mine no longer.

Everyone loved this quilt...batted with wool...both top and backing so soft and nice.

In short order, the quilt top all fell apart.

Three children , two old grandparents, 2 cats and one dog.

Now, you can see above almost in shreds.

It has been patched with most any red spare block I could find.

So much for preserving a pristine antique.

At my age, I want to use what I have.

Another lesson learned is future generations and even now...folks have

different ideas on what is valuable.

Therefore, my feed sack quilt is backed with flannel, batted with wool

and machine quilted with the serpentine stitch over the seams as Jean

suggested.  Although this quilt probably has 40 years on the red and white Puss in the Corner,

We are still looking at fabric and hand piecing almost 80 years old.

The above generational quilt from my collection is shown here on 

my daughter's bed, in Portland.

I bought it in Oklahoma City about 30 years ago for $85.

Again, turn of the 20th century fabric, mostly, but who knows. 

It is tied with what looks like postal string...and backed with some

random purple plaid..from much later.
Looks like the batting is some netting, maybe the last of an old blanket as this quilt is quite heavy.

I love this quilt..So many fabrics..a few rips and tears..

A great example of a generational quilt.

I have given it to my next generation, my daughter.

PS  Speaking of antique...Google now says that 65% of Americans live to 70

Tula, Stephanie and Jessie

Wonderful quilting group.

Basted Carol's baby quilt

Celebrated Stephanie's birthday..a rayon challis scarf made by Sherry

A wash cloth made by MP with a crochet hook and lessons available.

A few potholders from me
Dear Tula...I could not make your quilt..I stopped at 21.
But I loved what I made...here are some more potholders.

 
 THe Modern Trap of turning Hobbies into Business

Loving a story....

A few days ago,  I hit up the grocery store for some subs to share with a friend..

There was Jessie behind the counter.

Jessie is a substantial woman, all dressed in deli gear..white apron/ white hair net.
I do not know her.

For some crazy reason, I asked her if she had lost  her husband.

No, she said, I lost my youngest son in an awful car accident.

Our eyes locked.  She heard my story. ...then....

Jessie came out from behind the counter and gave me the biggest hug.

She said that I would be OK and that she would be OK

My directive from dear Jessie, was to  wave to her every time I came in..

and she would give me the high five...that all would be OK.

Sharing our stories gives us an instant bond with people.
I am making her a potholder...
That is how I show my love xo

Transitioning

Voila...Ms Double Digits
How in the world did this happen??.???

An I-pod and playing with dolls...
I already love 10 years old.

Lynsey, age 10 years and her sister, Ava age 10 months.

I found this while I was looking for something else.

A partially finished quilt top....

Who does this?  Just leaves it half done and starts something else???

When I look for the fabric to finish it with...I will probably again... find something else.

From the Tula Pink 100 block book comes the:

first 30, before I gave up.

Potholder city...so much fun

My dearest Mr. O'Quilts from the Irish countryside would

be beside himself if he saw a dog of ours on the furniture.

At 11, our Zoe sleeps where ever she wants now.

Saturday, there was a great Sit and Sew with our Guild.
I have been sad that a friendship door closed...I always hate that.
Grateful that more doors open in time. Saturday was wonderful

I love this collection...I gave one to Jean one year for her birthday.

Country Threads Sewing Caddy Collection

Cold and rainy in Charlotte.
TBTG I have a sewing machine and stash!!!

That Silver Lining Thing

Amazing Grace
My mustard star, returned, quilted by Katy of Katyquilts
The quilting is truly spectacular

 I love it so...that I am including all the pictures.

Perfect quilting!!

 The backing is my Halloween "Boo" fabric...to honor my cat, "Boo"
and to honor the hue and to honor the using of a great bargain fabric I have had forever.

Presents galore to cheer me up...Wahoo
Everyone's favorite....laminate.

Thank you other Lindsay!!

Grandma O'Quilts gets into her Red Period.
A lovely baby quilt for saving in the closet.

 Backing from IKEA

Since I got carried away with my red blocks, here are 5 placemats
our CMQG donates to Meals on Wheels.

 Favorite backing that I decided to use anyway..cuz they say that I will not live forever.

Lynsey and her daddy made strawberry cake for her 10th birthday tomorrow.
Lynsey usually likes chocolate, but her brother, Dylan has a birthday next week
and he ordered fruit in the cake....Ms Double Digit changed her cake wish.
Really Lynsey?????

My clever daughter
My girl and her dog...waiting at the kissing booth for her man
to get off the airplane and kiss them hello...
At the kissing booth yesterday.



Goes to show you that a difficult day can turn on a dime to a lovely gifted day.
xo All thanks to kindness.

Yesterday's  Melanoma check up was negative...grateful.  My arthritis pain
was so out of control, that two people  had to help me get on the exam table.
Jeeze Louize....How did I get here??

Last night my son, made dinner, did the laundry, cleaned the kitchen,
put his children to bed and went to a meeting.
Since it was crybaby day for me..., his kindness made me cry in relief.
.
Evan made me a nice cup of tea.
Dylan cleared the dinner table.
Lynsey reminded me that on Saturday, she will be 10 and
did I know that that was double digits?.
With great excitement, she wrote "Happy Birthday"
to herself on her own blackboard in her room.
Guess she is getting ready.

She told me that I had bought her two presents and since I usually
forget where i put things, she knows where  her new bathrobe is hidden.
And, I have the two days to find the earphones...OMG
double digits is right!!!

I would love to ride my roller coaster in a smoother way...guess that is not for me.
A great exercise in the pool today with new supportive friends.
A very good day.

changes for google bloggers

OMG  This is so not  in  my skill set...

Anyone...help please...

My Happy Gifts

A gift that stole my heart.

Anna Marie Horner--- thirds,  in flannel.

Thank you so much my friend.

A wonderful Sit-and-Sew today with Ellen and Karen.
Ellen showed us a quilt she had juried and sold after a North Carolina hurricane.
Hurricane Watch ,  by Ellen Guerrant..

I am surrounded by artists.

Our MQG quilt for Quilt Con

Last week, I made new friends.  I was leaving a lovely lunch out, when
I caught sight of a handsome man with an awesome smile.  He was about 40.
He had a cane, I had a cane.
 He was smiling at his mother.
His face was just full of spirit. I walked closer to the spirit.
 His body was all twisted.
He struggled walking and with balance.  At first I thought....CP
When I got closer, we talked.  His story:

He had had his own business, lots of friends, a house on the beach and a wife.
 A brain hemorrhage left him very disabled.
So disabled, body distorted, that..
He had not ever want to leave his house again, but his mother insisted
that he would go out to lunch with her every day and use his smile.

His wife left him, he lost his business and all his friends went away.  

People tend to run fast away from disabilities and disease and grief.
They have their own lives. People can only take so much.

I felt so blessed to have met this man and his smile
I cannot get him out of my mind...playing a poor hand so well.
If I had not just eaten, I would have joined the family for lunch too.
New friends, old friends...all so great.

Now...

Please help me figure out the new Bloglovin/Google rules.

Please...it is so beyond me.

The Absolute Joy....

Tonight is the father/daughter dance in 4th grade.

Lynsey's mother came to curl her hair.

Her daddy puts the little rose corsage on her wrist.

 Daddy and daughter. with mother involved....just how its supposed to be.
A Miracle.

My zipper obsession from Zippit on Etsy
I needed some longer ones for bigger pouches.

Kaffe favorites

Dylan cleans the whole kitchen himself without his brother.
Big brother had refused and was in trouble...
Dylan did not want his brother in trouble..so  he got to work.  .He did a great job!!

Links to love:
Quilt artist, Sherri Lynn Wood buys a new house.

North Carolina Textile Industry
Fabric Science Back to the Basics

Then......and always:
Understanding ALS from the heart

Looking forward to a weekend of peace and reading and sewing
xo

With a Roar of an Engine...She is off...

Today

Slept in....Lynsey.too.....She was still a bit sick.

Went to my senior water exercise...Lynsey took her I-pad.

She helped me carry my bags and put my water shoes on..

There is nothing like the water to deceive a person into being 21 again.

Until it is time to get out!!

Evan cooked dinner...scrambled eggs for his siblings.

He also cleaned up after himself...wow!!

The neighbor brought cake.

When all are in bed.......

The creative work begins.

 Dylan's jeans that he absolutely refuses to ever be thrown away..we will see.

Mended by Grandma

The extent of my String Thing Along.

Probably will be potholders.

 At least I am sewing

The 16 patch squares that Grandma O'Quilts forgot were 3 inch square

At a Sit and Sew, I got to talking and cut them 3.5

The result is going to be a rectangle baby quilt

.Stay tuned.

Lynsey continues....

I have not seen this side of the table for several years...

 She is throwing my scraps into the scrap bin willy nilly...

without admiring them and caressing them..and loving them...etc.

How could she???

Maybe she is right???

She says that when she finishes here...we (she) will start with my bedroom

😻😻😻

I always feel better when I sew.

Especially with my grandgirl around.

She will be 10 in 12 days....amazing.