Big Gratitude and Small Gratitude

My Magnolia gift today...brilliant with a wing span of 10 inches!! Amazing!!

Gratitude for Aoife...soon to be 6....A pix of pot of gold under the Irish rainbow....with a chicken enjoying herself...of  course.

AND....Lip gloss for Grandma...Hmmmmmm

My favorite relaxation: creating potholders...Oh, dear...I am all out of Insulbrite!

I am way behind making potholders as I give them away so often....to folks who are so nice to me...or who have birthdays or have sad days. Grateful for my cool and awesome Janome 8900 sewing machine and my huge fabric stash!!

Missing my family who have gone before me...and the stellar family I have left.

Generosity is..loaning my car to my  friend so she could practice swimming for her  tournament on Thursday in the senior games..Yesterday, I loaned my red travel Janome to my 97 year old quilting buddy so she could machine quilt her latest.  Both of these women inspire me so much. 

 Here;  Our neighbor, MK with all  her swimming medals:  She will be 90 in October.  

Time is going very fast...I fear that all my fabric making dreams will not fit into the time I have left here on earth... One am is evidently the time to worry about that??!!  Not!!

Nte! xo

Gifts of Love

A friend fell last night in the hall in her nighty...Off she went to the ER , returning today with an arm broken in two places and stitches on her face. She will be 90 in July and is quite fragile physically....not mentally....stubborn and of Irish descent.  I whipped up a pillow cover for her comfort.   I get these small basic pillows online, having them available for sick friends.  They are a perfect present as  they can be used on your lap for dinner, in the crook of your neck or the back of your chair.  It is in a bag now and will be delivered tomorrow.

Tommy Bahama silk shirts I found at our thrift store for $5 each.  I planned to cut them for a different feel in a quilt as they are 3x, xt men's shirts with lots of fabric. I threw them into the  wash and drier before I read the label that they were 100% silk.  They came out fine..  Guess they were a different kind of silk than I am used to.  After seeing the price of them online, I am troubled about cutting them up.  I will see...

Below, Dylan is 16.  Driving with his permit still..Amazing.  I got him when he was 3...Dylan is not the only one in my family who is older....cough, cough...says Grandma O'Quilts!!

Below is the latest in funky.  I had cut up that 2$ thrift store blouse with all the buttons.  The green reminds me of forever ago.  I am planning on applying letters on it...maybe...Be Kind?  Stay tuned.

I so love making memories.

My family is all off having their own lives, as it should be.  Grandma here so happy in her garden reading and hanging out with her sewing machines.   One of the best feelings in quilting groups is all ages of women coming together in a common cause. Here, it happens in all areas.  I am off to play this card game called, Hand and Foot.  I had never  heard of it till here.  I will be playing with folks between the ages of 62 and 97...All so interesting and supportive.  I  have so much gratitude to be here with them.

Today I am in a chipper mood.  I actually had a good  night sleep last night.  What a difference that makes..

Mothers' Day Today

 Grandma Dear made this cross stitch for me 50 some years ago...Guess she knew me well..It hangs now on my door to remind me to love myself the way  I am.

My new glass chicken item...gifted to me by friends from the glass factory they visited..

 Last year I lost 40 pounds...Then, I was able to have my hip replaced.  A few months back, I  went to the hernia specialist.  She said I had to lose 50 more  pounds before she would do my hernia surgery.  OMG   I am so not a magician...Disgusted, I am cruising Pinterest and eating jelly beans.. Really?????  No one told me age would mean visits with multiple doctors instead of visits to multiple fabric shops.  UGH

 Above, king of my  UFO lot..I made tons of them...16 patches.....Now thinking on their layout.

Happy Mother's Day!!!  Lucky me heard from both of my children and my dear DIL  Lucky lucky me!!

I did  not hear from my grands, but that is just fine.. I have had a lovely day.  A three hour lunch with friends and my sister here at my place...Prime rib was delightful..Life is good.  I am grateful.

How perfect is this picture of my girl and her girl on Mother's Day.  I  love it  so.  When they called this morning, I spoke with Aoife.  She informed me that she was not five...She was five and a half!!  So there!!

The above note was role modeled for us all our lives by our mother.  A great tribute to her..Missing her so...She has been gone for 12 years now.

XXOO Mother...

Sewing Crumbs

My crumb quiltlet:  "My Mellow Yellow"

Crumbs are ironed on fusible fleece, quilted and made into small hanging. My  latest obsession:  buttons...I love them so!!  I think I will make some earrings this week..

They were only 3 and 4 when I got these darlings to raise.  Now, here they are at 16 and 17..so very dear to me.  They came today for lunch....They helped Grandma in so many ways.....lots of hugs and kindness...I am very very lucky.

The weather in Charlotte has been hot and hotter.....80's and even a 90.  Today is 58 midday....TBTG for China and Sherry and Amazon for my wonderful fireplace...Perfect for a nap after  4 youthful visitors this morning.

Feeling old today.  The grands are so quick and efficient.  Lynsey organized my pantry in 5.  I get so overwhelmed that I cannot even do it...I am so amazed.. Grandma!!!!  She said, Why are there 15 boxes of baggies in the pantry??  I cannot bend over to look, so I just buy more...Grandma!!!    She does not understand, but that girl surely knows  how to organize!!!  Grateful me.

Two of the boys put my quilt top on the floor to measure the backing..So helpful and again, so quick.

Four (one brought a friend) of them were here for 90 min helping and  hugging me, then they were gone and I was exhausted and I did nothing, took a nap....I am thinking I am old before my time....

UFOs here galore, yet here I relax in front of Pinterest....

My latest square top:  the coral fabric is the backing..

Cute label on the back of my repurposed sweatshirt.

A stunning day again...out to the yard with a book.