A Quick Hello on Saturday Night

Aoife and family at Mt Hood last week. 18 inches of snow.

The good daddy with his Aoife.

Today, I hear it is snowing in Portland...maybe not 18 inches, but still.....

Susan gave me this  Pewter sunflower to help chase away the breathing blues

Where has Grandma O'Quilts been??

She has been stuck in her apartment for a week with a nasty asthmatic episode.  Tons of coughing and wheezing and crabbiness..Finally, last night I gave in to reality. Calling my doctor and accepting steroids and special pearl cough drops and antibiotics...etc..etc...My inhalers were just not enough as I hoped  neither was the nebulizer...

My girl in Oregon using my antique quilts, over a hundred years old for forts for Aoife!!!!

Taking it easy...jeeze....no choice here....watching some of Quilt 2024, and  below:

 Pola Quilting

Mac Barnes. t-shirt quilting

10 Sewing Supplies from the Dollar Tree (Sew Can She)

I think sickness is such a waste of time...Oh, well xox

The Good, the Very Good

 First up, my friends, is the visit and dinner with one of my favorite quilt artists, Mac Barnes

 The process he is showing here is from the left over T-shirt quilt he made with the YMCA shirts.

These were lefover knits he had already reinforced with fusible interfacing.

https://www.instagram.com/macbarnes.art/

Mac  uses:

Pellon P44F fusible interfacing for his T-shirt quilts.

It is always delightful to have quilty talks with Mac.

 He will be teaching a T-shirt class in the above workshop series.

You can watch it for free, or you can pay $49 like I did, and watch the 30 workshops forever.

Below:  a picture of my 37 year old niece.  She is in the spectrum and has recently been diagnosed with Mucus Ovarian cancer.  Below she wears a chemo hat specially made for her by my friend Sally Cato, 

And what my Portland family does, the minute I leave.

The cold does not bother them a bit!!!!

Christmas deliciousness.....frozen cranberries with a Rosemary tree, out of the freezer, enjoyed with Champagne for a treat

Lucky me...A recipient, once more , of a beautiful piece of Christmas original art from Linda Swanecamp.

Mrs. O'Quilts  has recovered some from her trip...enough to make four blocks of Railway scrap patch

The progression of a baby quilt:

At age 3. Aoife's first card to her grandmother. 

A few days ago, when I first landed from the red eye, Portland to Charlotte, I was in such joint pain and so exhausted, that I thought I would have to tweak my obituary.

Two days resting and deep breathing, a bit of pool and a bit of walking.

I am better...motivated to sew tonight and check out a good book from our library.

Even though my body rebelled from the damp cold weather in Portland, my heart was warm with family.  It was a wonderful way to get ready for a New Year.

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!!

A Scrappy Week Ahead

Friends and family all busy with their lives this weekend.  The only travel I could do was in books.   It is marvelous to have a library on site.  I read  two novels  this weekend and puttered and made some scrap potholders.  I am almost out of potholders.  For me, they are like mini-quilts and so  useful and so quick.

Mac Barnes  One of my very favorite quilters.

Spent some time today watching a few of the TED talks on trauma that affect all of us.

Scrap  trunk show and share tomorrow morning.  I do not want to go to bed...but early comes the morning.

That Covid...UGH!!

Damn Covid!!! 

Friday was an OT day. I was so happy to catch up with my OT and have my heat and shoulder nerves rubbed.  She stopped me.  She repeated  her O2 testing, and pulse, etc.  She said I was weaker due to Covid.  I was released as no longer contagious on December 9th.... almost a month ago. Dizziness returned, lightheadedness returned...UGH.  My day was so ruined from lingering  effects of Covid and Covid  fatigue.  I was shocked by my reaction once I started doing a few minor exercises...shocked.  Even a bit of shortness of breathe...Jeeze Louize!

Well, OK..day not ruined., just marred a bit..Friends and I basted Christine's quilt.  We drove to AAA sewing where my machine was cleaned and ready to go home. We laughed and chatted just like old times.However, I am now supposed to rest....again..

.Here we are in Matthew's Glen's new art room.  So wonderful to be back in the sewing way with friends.

EJ's special holiday gift:

Mac Barnes  A  brilliant Quilter/Textile Artist had his aunts, uncles and cousins draw a flower on a sweatshirt for his grandmother for Christmas.  She lives down the hall from me.. On the sleeves are the words, "Every Grandma needs a flower garden of her own."

He put these flower designs into his Cricut machine.  He cut out the designs and then applied them to a sweat shirt. It is really lovely.

Cousin Ann gave me another star year with The Quilt Show.  During Challenging times, watching some of these quilting shows is very relaxing.  I love going into the homes virtually of famous quilters.

Lynsey is spending the night with me....She is so much fun.....However, the songs she played for me and the school friend stories....OMG...such a generational gap.  I am taking responsibility for this gap...as I am 75 and she is  almost 14.  We  had a great dinner here with my sister.  They helped me put away all my holiday items.  In 6 weeks Lynsey will be 14. Time is flying for sure..I am grateful she still loves her grandma!!

Glad my girl now lives with her young mother.as she explores the complexities of boys and life.

Lynsey's  nails, not Grandma's!!!!

On the subject of organizational skills.  I have none.

Trying though. In a see-through box I have put all my tissue gifts.

They are perfect small give-a-ways for folks who are so kind.

Lynsey will go back home tomorrow with her mother, for school and her family.

We are having a lovely visit..and I am a grandmother and not a mother any more.

It has only been 6 months...seems like a lifetime since caring for myself.

Life is good. xo

Progress, not Perfection...Day Nine

No blogging, no nada....still adjusting to no cooking and no caregiving.

Looking internally to who I am and what my new choices are..

Thank God for friends and sister Charmaine...for all the help.  Of, course, Matthews Glen staff for spoiling me.

Aoife  playing peek-a-boo with Grandma! All via Facetime

The most relaxing activity in the world is making rope bowls: 

 

The grandson of my new neighbor....hmm...brilliant at 10,  brilliant at 90....Not so smart at 10, not so smart at 100.  This kid  has it!!

Mac Barnes prizewinning 18 year old quilter

A little bit at a time.. Forgetting my PT and OT for awhile as I settle in.

Cool new screen on my patio door.  It is magnetic , attached by Velcro..Wonderful.

The weather has changed in Charlotte, heading toward fall...Delightful!!

New friends on my floor include a quilter, a music  teacher, a master gardener.

I am sitting around napping, settling in, reading and sewing...Also scrap sorting, making bowls and potholders..  My grands were coming to visit Monday....no school...but their mother has Covid...so that was cancelled.

My beautiful handmade bed by Ric in Miami...I have been sleeping in this bed 30 years!! So far. my bedroom. office and quilts...Sherry is quite the folder!!

Aoife turned 2 in July...Her grandmother bought her a sewing machine of her own.  Her mommy took the needle out of it and removed the plug.  Aoife doesn't mind at all.  Now all of my grands have sewing machines from their grandmother O'Quilts.

Great excitement next Thursday as my girl comes to visit for four days from Portland,Oregon.  My cup runneth over.  I want to grab her tight and keep her and never let her go.!!!

She is going to plant some plants, help me get it together.  We are going to sew...already have an extra machine set up.  Time will fly and I will be grateful!!

No  time at all for Pearl when Emily is here.

A very special present coming from Texas and from friend, Laurel.

My man would be so pleased...His words, and his quilt and Laurel's clever kindness!!

Thank you Laurel...

My vintage white porch table, my pumpkin and the tiny rose cutting from the new neighbors a miniature Knock Out Rose... Just starting here...My sister bought soil........and....just waiting for my girl to come to help out.

And so it goes in my new apartment.  Peaceful..