Getting Scary in July

Thrilled here...to have this Halloween top finished.

This is the back fabric.

On the design wall: handy cordless Panasonic

Beautiful, fine batik spider web

Including the spiders

The choices are endless. Having such a good time admiring my fabric.

I have been saving Halloween fabric for years....

Fabric choices may be endless, but I am not.

Time to sew with it.

Zoe is 12...guess I am not the only old one in this house.

Look at all her white fur now...We love our Zoe.

My doctor said I need a vacation....I agree!!

My physical therapist frets that I should not be so tired after my work out

 I should  not have to nap all day, exhausted.

So back off to my PCP I went today.

During my blood work, I met a new friend who is now in social work school.

Got her chatting so I would  not feel the needle.

Next week I have to have a heart echo...to be sure the operations and stresses of my

life are not doing me in.

I am relieved to have all that in place.

My poor body does not know what hit it at PT with bar bells,

bicycle, arm bike, stretches...OMG

I am now 8 weeks out from knee replacement surgery. My knee is perfect.

The rest of me, not so much.

Funny, how when it comes to finishing off a Halloween flimsy..

I have tons of energy!!

My heart beats just fine.

The Sunny, Cloudy, Rainy, Happy, Sad, Grateful Life...

It is MP's birthday...that means...

More laminate zipper pouches from the tutorial on my last post.

The story...Irish zipper pull from a piece of jewelry.

Larger laminate pouch...This was my third try. Even then, I  had my zipper wonky.

This is my second try..It was perfect until I found the zipper was inside the bag, unreachable

instead of on the outside.  I had to cut it off and add velcro...

Oh, well...the learning curve...again..still learning....

I popped it into the larger bag for a set.

Here she is...

Dylan earning his two dollars...cutting up a Goodwill shirt for fabric.

Cut shirts all folded.

Of course...all my favorite folks seem to swear by this:
13" x 13"   Stay tuned.

How to stay alive at the O'Quilts house.:
Invite your healthy and knowledgeable son to live with you.
Grandma O'Quilts made a terrible mess.

Below, Grandma's clean computer table.

The story:  An exhausting day...My knee is perfect, but the rest of me is not.
Came home to read stories and relax...not so fast.
I  just took my dinner and a lovely glass of red wine to my computer table.
Boom went my shaky hand with the entire glass of wine spilling all over the keyboard,
all over the computer table and evidently all over the wall.
The nice clean spot you see on my oilcloth table is usually piled high with papers,etc/
Evidently it had other  junk there too....We heard a pop...a penny fell...the extension cord
was just far enough out..a little gap, from the wall...when the penny..wet with wine hit it.
Bingo a short.
My son cleaned the entire thing up..
After his meeting tonight, he is going to replace the socket.
Life as we know it hangs by such a slender threat..
No relaxing tonight!!

Below...:  A personal Rant...You can scroll on by...

An American rant...or something like that in this unfair world.
Americans Living Paycheck to Paycheck
 Of course this is not us...no it is not...oh, maybe it could be!!!
Oh, now it is...

Our beloved nanny had a heart attack.two months ago.  She cannot work.
She used to work 3 jobs...She is a CNA.  She is a great worker.
Now, she struggles to pay her bills and her heart medication.
She has been working since she was 14.
She is proud.
She is 60 years old...now what.??

My husband and I both are well educated...We did quite well...all is paid off..
We had saved for retirement.
He suffered and died of ALS/ Motor Neuron Disease.
Care-giving for an ALS patient who is paralyzed is $5000 a month....Who has that?
Caring for my mother with Parkinsons was $5000 a month.
I am on a fixed income...at my age raising three children...hmm..
I am retired after a lifetime of work.

The children had to stop karate...after 4 years...Sometimes, Lynsey still gets tears in her eyes...
As a black belt, she was so good at Karate.and she misses it so.
She is learning a life lesson...She is only 10/

I am not complaining!!I am loved and have a good life.
I have had a wonderful life.
The children are safe and happy and their parents are now involved.

55% of Americans can be done in by a catastrophic illness.
I so needed this rant.

Now, back to quilting.

This Kite can Fly Without a String

One of my many many many UFOs
No wonder I get nothing done..I have hundreds of unfinished objects.
TIny design wall on the back of the sewing room door.

Having just the two younger ones home now...they go to camp in the day.
Tonight we played UNO and I read four chapters from this book
I was surprised that it held the attention of ages 9 and 10
We all enjoyed it.  Tomorrow I have promised the same.

Originally published in 1918, our copy was from 1946
Well....I am from 1947..That means this book is quite the vintage piece...
Like me, it shows its wear and tear.
My brother's nickname was Chip...

This past Monday started out great...my ego was high..I was superwoman.

Then, I went to physical therapy at 9:45...OMG  the leg bike, the arm bike, the steps, the

leg slides, the 4 pound weights, the 5 pound weights, the ice packs and stimulating prods..

I left in tears.

I took myself to Chinese lunch, then right home to bed.

For the rest of the day, I felt ill and wasted.

Sad and disappointed at my lack of energy, my ego deflated.

My expectations of myself...It is not like I was rollerskating...!!!!!!

Why why why...I lament...do I have no energy????


Today is Tuesday, 25% off at Goodwill for seniors...55 and up.....I needed nothing by the way...
Except these $3 men's purple shirts to cut up for cotton fabric
I got some $1 bills today.  I am going to pay the children to cut up the shirts.

 And this $1.50 vintage bowl that will fit nowhere in my crowed kitchen

This 50 cent vintage glass...already in use with Trader Joe's Shiraz
I waste no time.

Today was a far cry from Monday...I have not been to Goodwill in maybe  a year.
Then I went by to see Peggy at AAA sewing.
These were great outings for the formerly disabled me.

At Christmas, I bought these Chinese feet...Alas...when I got the energy to use them now, they did not attach to my foot hook..ugh....The measurement for my Janome 8900 is too big.
I gave my daughter my beloved 6600 and the feet fit hers...she has a set too.
At Peggy's shop today, I bought the proper attachment to hold these feet on my 8900
I wanted to try it on at the shop...Nooo..the 8900 is now old and new machines have taken their place.

And so it goes...a good day, a bad day and days in-between
I am once again hopeful!!

Just a reminder to myself...I have free will
xo

Two Steps Forward....

Kaffe laminate on the outside.
Tutorial from Laminate toiletry bag by Polka Dot Chair.

Laminate on the inside.

Putting those little helpful clips inside.

This is for a thank you gift...I just could not wrap my head around the second part of the tute..
OMG  What would life be like without a friend like Sherry to help me out!!!!
xoxo
My son is saving me $150 by  taking apart the outdoor AC and cleaning it.
Besides other things, it was full of Zoe's hair...He also found a baby snake.

Below...OK Connie...The roses have been soaked with Epson Salts and water.
Note the black banana peel hanging from the branches...
We are trying anything.
In a few days, we will cut them back ....OMG  My man loved these roses.

Today I opened the blinds in my bedroom, something new for me....

Last week, I went to Walmart.  I have not done that since Christmas.

With the thrill of a one year old child...I can walk.

And...

I can walk without a cane...such joy..

Today, I went to a clothing store...
I got light-headed...
I recouped in the car.
 I came home with one blouse.
Because I am no longer myself..my decisions are sketchy.
My only hope is that my daughter does not come visit and decide I have chosen
something better suited for a 12 year old...

I read a book...as always taking journal notes into my phone on the wisdom I discover.

When my husband died, I got a string of black bracelets...Each year he was gone, I added one.
Today I threw them away.
He would be horrified to think I still had them 4 years later.

Cjsmimi  Please send me  your email address so I can properly thank you for your nice comment xo

Today was a really good day.  I am getting better.
The children are coming home tomorrow so they can go to camp.
Every day I say a prayer of thanks for how well their parents are doing..

Now, if someone could come help me clean my sewing room!!!!!!
Oh, well...xo

WIP...Works in Process

Such a fun time at Guild Sit and Sew today.
I am finally getting to this Halloween bit..
Four Patch Frenzy
Hope I can sew it together tomorrow.

Last night was  the night I found that I had 10 large rotary cutters....all needing new blades.
That is the result of trying to clean my sewing room.
I have put new blades in them all...now need a special place...hmmm

I finished up the last three of the 8 place mats, I had made for the Modern Quilt Guild for  next month
Hope I remember to bring them to the meeting.

Summer cooking school for teens Salud...at Whole Foods
Grandma paying anything to keep the 14 year old from just hanging out..
Even though...it was only a week, it was a great success.

He hated the idea...but he loved it once he got there.
He was so proud.

The students prepared lunch ...wonderful
They prepared the lunch from 10 to 1...Then they each brought a visitor to lunch at one.
I was so excited it was me...
At the end of the luncheon, Evan said that I was not too embarrassing.
TBTG
THAT was the  highlight of my life.

Proud of the desserts he helped make.

Now I hear that Mr.O'Quilt's roses may have the deadly Rosette virus..
Stay tuned...ugh

Just wondering how a formerly smart person would end up eating all of Linda's cookies,
plus all of Eamon's candy...and end up with a sugar stomach ache...
MOTHER, I have turned into you.
I remember when you ate all the Easter bunny candy and had to run out for more the night before.
And you did that every year!!!

RIP Dear Mother RIP

Every Day is the Best Day Ever

Fun Camp Mindy...tie dye t-shirts.

Tula...with love to me, from a friend.xoxo

Since Fabric.com stopped being a family business, bought out by Amazon..
I have hated the prices and customer service.
However.....they did have a selection of knits on sale
Now that I am 4 years out of my family's 6 year crisis, I may try to sew with knits..

While looking for this affordable practice knit...I found Kona cottons on sale for $4.99.
A Prime Day special.
Did not need them.....Did not seem to matter...yummy solids..stole my heart.
On the Asparagus and the Pansy, I got an extra yard each, as they were end of bolt.!!

This Saturday, our Guild has an all day Sit and Sew...called Christmas in July.
As I have never really been a rule follower..I am bringing this...
Halloween fabrics are a favorite of mine.

My daughter sent me pictures of her his garden produce.

I felt a bit on the jealous side...my man always had a garden for us..

Then I saw this...my son and the children had planted in pots..

I am so lucky.

I keep asking 9 year old Dylan why I am so very tired.
His answer is always the same...Because you are a grandma.
Maybe he is right.  I am 7 weeks out now from my fourth joint replacement.

My son loves to work on cars....He still gives a great hug!!!
And, I take it every time.

My making an easy crock pot dinner..set Lynsey free to make desserts!!
Not willing to settle for one, she made lemon pudding in cupcake cups and a big ol"
chocolate pudding pie...You go Lynsey.

Dylan has trouble falling asleep and a hard time getting up.
He begged for one of these on Prime Day.
The other two were jealous...Now we have 3 of them.

My man had 8  to 10 luscious rose bushes. They are about 10 years old..The Knock Out ones.
Lately, I see that they are dying...all of them...
Isn't it enough to loose my man without losing his roses too???

Even with the sad roses, and my painful bones...
Every Day is the Best Day Ever.

O'Quilt Ramblings

Thank you dear Eithne, for  this adorable cat vinyl you brought all the way from Ireland for me.

I love you Eithne.

Tonight I ventured to make a reusable snack bag for Lynsey.

 Evidently it is true...the best learning comes from mistakes.

I have made 6 trillion of these.  AND  I watched the below video to be sure

I did it right....nope...I did it wrong...but I re-grouped and it worked out just fine..

How I made this mistake, I do not know.

I just zigzagged the edges and voila....still usable.

This is the link I used.

Reusable snack bags

Mine is lined with Rip Stop

I have had a problem putting the names on these bags nicely.

This marker on muslin did OK for awhile

On the cat one, I wrote on ribbon and sewed it into the side.

Any suggestions will be appreciated...The children use these all the time.

Camp, school snacks, car snacks...just rinse them out and use them again.

From the library came this book

Victoria Findlay Wolfe

 Examples from Modern Quilt Magic...which I found quite interesting.

Yesterday was 7-11-19...Which of course meant it was free slurpee day at the 7-11 store.
A line of children having a field day.

Now..The three children are in the kitchen...all helping the 9 year old make pancakes.
He insisted that tonight was his night to make dinner as  his siblings did it the other nights.
His bro and sis are guiding him.. It is adorable...
All this even though, I had already made spaghetti...

I thought you might be interested in seeing the pupcakes my daughter made for Rosie's first birthday party.  Pumpkin Peanut butter pupcakes with salmon mousse topping

Here is Rosie's birthday party at the dog park...
That girl of mine is nuts about animals.

Look at the doctor fabric I found in my stash.
It is perfect for potholders for my ortho surgeon.
He has done all four of my successful joint replacement surgeries.
Guess I  did him in, as he is retiring in December.

I love having the stash for all seasons.
50 years of fabric collecting..

The physical therapist told me today that I was overdoing it.
She said I had had trauma physically and emotionally and had to slow down.
OK already OK....I usually have two speeds...fast and stop.
She promised that every week she will give me hope.
I am so grateful for people who encourage me on.

TED talks....We do not move on from grief