Thursday's Excitement

Finished this top finally...an old UFO, for donation. (Size:  40x53)

Vacation time for my girl....The dog was pouting under the bed when she saw the suitcases.

Aoife decided to join her...OMG

Vacation travel!!!  Extra luggage must be checked....!!!

Still  having great days...Today, a new book outside in our wonderful post storm weather.

Lunch with a friend, dinner with another friend, Zooming with a friend, Zooming with Good Vibes Quilters...Feeling a bit like in middle school...sorting out new friends, etc.  Looking for my people!!

Looking forward to PT tomorrow and energy to do errands.

This just in.  Aoife and bunny all buckled up and on the plane.

My daughter loved one of my favorite quilts... made from antique bits.  She uses her quilts, so here I see the quilt is going on vacation as well...fabrics from up to 90 years ago...all used with love.

Fellow Traveler, Flowers and a Finish

Tonight's finish, but for the snipping tomorrow in the yard.

The green fabric here is from an estate sale. Fabric from the 1930's with the price tag still attached...29 cents.

Close up below: quilted by Mary Jerz

I used reproduction fabrics to pair with the green for the rectangular blocks.

Tonight's potholder:

Tonight's work:  next border...albeit wavy, for the giving quilt.

Reading today in the  yard when...thunder clouds appeared. Lovely

Lisa, a 20  year fellow traveler of mine...visited today.  So wonderful!! She has a business in native plants...she shared some with me and fussed with my garden.  Here it is after her help:  Columbine, Goldenrod, Coral  Honeysuckle...and more...What would I do without Lisa.??

Once she left, I  had the energy to do some Gardenia starts with distilled water in my left over hospital jug.  I punched holes in it so the mosquitoes would not bother us. One more extension of the gift from Great-Aunt Carl from Greenville, Alabama.  Also river rocks from Lisa's nature space.

Every day I am stronger and happier...

Like they say,  "Do not try to fix the storm.  The storm will pass. Work on fixing yourself"

Big thanks to the village of friends that help me.

UFO Work

Margaret goes to West Virginia with her church in November.

People are poor and cold in places there...Last  year they ran out of quilts for warmth.

I am looking to my UFOs.  Each of these are small...could be  baby size.

I would like them bigger....That is my next goal...even if they are just tops..I think they would be helpful for  the cause. There could be a quilter to chip in. Looking at adding simple borders to make it all work.

Dylan left this morning...such joy.

I read outside until the thunder storm came.

Then, I worked on these pieces.

A full day tomorrow...Happy Grandma O'Quilts!!!

 

Family Joy and Dylan's Visit

AMEN

Dylan visiting his old grandmother...We love each other so...He is thirteen, starting 8th grade Monday.

He gives the best hugs and lots of them...I am so very lucky.

Lynsey and her friend just after getting their hair ready for school Monday.

Dylan made bobbins for me while we chatted.

My sewing room corner

Dylan's "motel room" when he visits...He blows up the mattress and cuddles under the sewing table, TV and all...and two fans clipped above him...He knows how to live!!!

Mommy and Ava enjoying girl time.

Marvelous tip on Instagram...putting avocados in a bowl of water in  the fridge keeps them fresh with no waste.  I tried it with 6 newly bought store avocados...All were perfect to  use, I have these two left 4 days later...

Dylan changing the wall quilt.

I so love this boy:  He is so helpful, holds the door for his grandma, makes bobbins, re-planted in the garden, changing out the wall quilts.  We went swimming and played Connect Four...had great laughs. We lifted the 5 pound kettle bell for exercise.  We shared how we miss living together.. It was so the best having him with me.  Gratitude and blessings.

I really loved my grandmother...and always wanted the chance to emulate her...Such a gift for me.

Back in the Saddle

Five years or so ago, my Wednesday night quilters came up with a challenge...a purple rail fence!!!  We all made blocks, put them in a pillowcase and drew out our lot...THEN, we started arguing...this is not purple, it is pink!!!  No, it is Red...no it is green  OMG...Somehow we agreed to use what we had been given.  Of course  I had to do it my way.  I cut them  up and added things...I have two of them now.  One unfinished and this one finished today...Quilted by Mary Jerz...and just finished  the binding myself

Seems like there is something new on the colors etc...These two are a combination of the truth!!!

Back in the pool and back at PT has given me soooo much more energy.

Energy to catch up on potholders, bind the quilt and sign up for Sit and Sew Sept 2, at Quilt Patch Fabric.

Hope more friends will join me...

So nice to feel normal....OK...kind of normal!!

Andy Warhol textile history 

Joy and Freedom

OMG  OMG  African fabric summer sale for $3.50 a yard....Such heaven  AND freedom to be me.

I have been released by my doctor...going to the pool for exercise the minute I wake up.

New fabric came today for celebration....already washed thanks to my sister.

JOY!!!!!!

 African Fabric summer sale

https://www.fabricsonsale.com/super-sale-collection?utm_campaign=33807bd5-ca64-4fb2-a051-efd1901138fc

Ennui

A potholder, just like a quilt, is not finished until it is bound:

Shopping my stash, I found this lovely:

Giving this away manana:

Now that I have adjusted to my  new apartment, I realize it is also my new stage of life.  After a million  years of advocating for children in the school system and of working with families in need of that kind of support,....Here I am.....no children and no school stuff.  A two sided coin as I let go and try to take care of myself...there is an empty hole which needs to be filled by me...just strange...that's all.. 

I am saving myself and the world, one potholder at a time!! Shopping my stash, and reading in the  yard.

However, ennui sneaks in at times.  That is how I came to this tonight:

Really, Mrs. O'Quilts??  Really?

Bingo...after a forever absence, Bloglovin appeared a few weeks ago on my google feed... Out of nowhere...hmmmm  Good, but surprising.

Tomorrow is the day, hopefully of dismissal from my doctor to go to the pool and exercise.

Bet the sun will shine tomorrow .

The Quandary of a Color Addict

Fabric collecting and quilting are two different passions...hence the struggle:

Do I save my favorite fabrics for the trailer hitch on the hearse???

Or do I use them in projects????

Finishing this potholder, I found two choices:  the conservative one...an old raspberry, or the fun color challenge, gold tooth brushes....The tooth brushes are a new treat....so of  course I wanted to save them...for what ???  probably for when I turn 85??  Instead, I used them...I love the contrast.  This other yellow was not so special, but it was just a shade off and I could not do it...kind of like my daughter and her music...a bit off will never do. I love the quilting on the back...Actually I just love this potholder.

 Went to the Guild Sit and Sew this morning for 3 hours....All said that they were happy to help me and glad I came...very nice.  This outing was the first big outing since my operations and it totally did me in. Someone rudely mentioned that it took longer for older people to recoup....What...Older People???  Certainly they did not infer that I was in that category???  If 55  is considered senior, what the heck is 75??

I have been making bindings for the hundreds of UFOs Mary Jerz quilted for me.  Above: Two bindings sewn and ironed...Mindless simplicity for a group sewing task.

It is wonderful to be in this lovely safe comfy apartment with my little patio for reading and my big sunroom for sewing.

This weeks gifting....a baby  quilt for Aubrey!

Good night!

An Almost All Better Lovely Day

Thursday's visit with  Susie...a fine time...below  treats she made for me....lunch out and friendship...nothing could be better....well, maybe pistachio baklava!!!!

Always have to include Ms Aoife and her dog Rosie.  They are having fun at the beach.

Cheap and fun fans for my sister and me...The battery charges on the computer...Amazing.

Thursday's addition to my potholder stash...it is so depleted.

Isn't this a great backing. If I was not so old, it would be being saved on my shelf!!

Great visit today from one of my favorite quilters, Mac Barnes.  If you are on Instagram, Mac Barnes Art is where you should be headed....This is the best T-shirt quilt I have ever seen..All YMCA T-shirts!!

Way too tired tonight to finish this....a good tired....tomorrow is another day.

OK. then:  Friday  night!!! This donation quilt came out just fine with a bit of value in the border.

Giving the top and batting, etc. to a WV  holiday giveaway.  As you know, value does the work, and color gets the credit!

This potholder top is the very reason, my friends, that we should keep every bit of fabric we have forever and forever.

Never would have dreamed that this striped pink/brown fabric would just make the potholder!!!

Tomorrow is our Guild monthly sit and sew.

No matter how I feel, I will go.  So need some quilty companionship and love!!

Trunk Show and More

My little talk on scrap quilting included my trunk show to share with new quilting friends

New design wall.  Called in maintenance so I would not have to bother my friends.

He resized the ceiling insulation I  used, he helped me cover it with batting and adhered it to the wall. I so  could have  done all that myself when younger...grrrr

Then he had to go home...Dear me....I have one left.  For this one alone, it was $40 in labor...And why????

Because Lowe's workers cut the boards all screwy and uneven....so I had to pay someone else to re-size them....Oh, well...at least this one  is done.  Old quilt blocks already on it. I love having design walls all over my apartment.  The worker is coming again tomorrow to do the smaller ones at 10:30. 

 Quilters certainly disappear in the summer..That is why I had to read....going somewhere in books. So miss my quilting friends.

Trader Joe's is the best place for flowers.  My favorites:  Sunflowers.

They shine in my old, chipped, Rivieraware pot.

All reminds me of dear friend, Norie Sanchez.  She painted the picture below from

a picture just like this...It is one of my favorite things.

First Christmas gift below: made by my friend Cherie.  Thank you Cherie!!

Monday, the 21st is my clearance day from my doctors.  Out from jail to be a free human at last 

xo