Quilting for the cure

"Twisted Scrap", gifted to Lauren.  Love you Lauren..get better quickly.

 When my newly delivered fabric from Fabric.com arrived at noon..I felt so much better...a shot in the arm for my mood.  Alas, it was not a shot in the lungs, so I have a call in to my pulmonologist. Patience is greatly overrated. 

Sipping and sliding back into childhood

Milito grew up on sewing.  At 14, he sits here while I have peddle to the metal whipping up this comfort quilt. Nothing much bothers him..He is king!

 Maybe it is the isolation??  Or maybe the steroids..I am slipping into childhood as the elderly often do...:)

 A friend of mine died last week.  She was 66.  She had been in a bee of ours for years.  At age 60, she entered the lock down unit of the Alzheimer's unit.  Early onset.....That shakes me up..so my new mantra...

I will be more mature tomorrow....maybe...

The big fix....retail or steroids??

This is how I feel.  Tomorrow is the last of 10 days on steroids and on antibiotics and I still feel like this.

 Not being one to suffer in silence (hence whining) or to suffer without reward..I ordered a few things to cheer me up!  This book came today...a delight.  This is my favorite way to work and Gwen does not disappoint in this book.  It has given me a boost already.

I also ordered a bit on Fabric.com.  Their $3.95 a yard Memorial sale is definitely within my budget, especially with free shipping.  And a bit of oilcloth.  Then there is the bra thing....I decided that I should have new bras.  Believe me, I would rather spend the money on fabric, but a lady has to do what she has to do.   I took the info off my favorite bra and googled the deals.  I found a place that was good, they had my bras and I ordered 4.  Then I saw the shipping.  It was $12.98.  Now I must share that I am not that well endowed that my bras would be that heavy for that much shipping.  So, I emailed the vendor and told them that I wanted to buy the bras but the shipping was too much.  Within seconds they sent me an email with a promo code for $1.98 shipping.  Way to go...

My husband is playing tennis again tonight and my bee meeting is cancelled... I guess I will baste my Three Stooges quilt and.....

Three Stooges saves the day!

Our Guild gets comfort and cuddle quilts mostly for women and girls.  There is a shortage for boys of all ages.  So, when I am making a quilt to give away, I try for the boy thing.  Also, I like to have quilts already made, on hand in case I need a gift.  Since I was working on this already...I was hoping for the boy.  I cut up so much fabric and messed around, ugh, made a mess...trying for the border to tie it all in and make it at least for either sex....and then I saw the half yard of Three Stooges fabric that had been sitting on my shelf awhile.

I had hoped that my Wednesday quilting group would help me baste this, but I had to cancel it again for tomorrow night since I am still not well.  There is progress.  Today I am 5% better than yesterday!!!!  No whining I said!  Plus, the Three Stooges makes me smile:)

I want to put this fabric on the back.  I should not have to worry whether or not it is "boy" enough..but I want whoever to like it....hmmm....Maybe it is bed time.

Feeling better one stitch at a time

There was a small turn around tonight  TBTG...so I celebrated with finishing the blocks on this comfort quilt.  As you can see, I am not sewing alone.  I am going to take down that nice ledge I made for the cats to rest on while they adjusted to the new dog.  I can see that Milito at least, would rather help me sew.

 This was not my next project, but once I started it was such smooth sailing....

 A person cannot be lonely while quilting!

Mother note:  My husband visited my mother again today and facilitated another Skype between us. She was in the bed, but in great shape mentally.  I asked her what she had done today.  She said that she had gone to a musical function and that it was a special only for the very old and decrepit and therefore she was invited.  And, she had a lovely time.

Just a little yard stuff to show...

We hired a friend to put a screened in porch on our house a few years back.  Before we hired him to also do the decks, my husband had thought of doing the decks himself, but he wanted to practice first.  In this far corner of our yard, nothing grew...it was a mud pit of weeds, totally unusable.  Mr. O'Quilts decided to put a "practice" deck there to assess his own skills and interest in doing the "real" thing. This is how we happen to have the most wonderful private vacation spot of our own...build around the existing trees.  It has become a standard joke with my financially prudent husband on holidays....eg, "Where are you taking me honey for our anniversary?".. I always know the answer....He nods to the back corner of our yard where we can have a lovely dinner for free:)  In the growing season, you cannot even see this spot from our house and yet it is right here in our yard.  Just sharing....

A Scrap Quilt Process, no think...promise..

The minute I feel better, I am up.  I cannot stand this "Be Patient" advice from my doctor.  I know he would cure me quicker if he could, even just to keep me at bay:)  In general, my organizational skills are quite lacking.  IKEA has helped a lot ..with these light weight rolling carts that just happen to fit under my cutting tables.  I have these drawers labeled 1.5 inches, 3 inches, 2.5 inches and misc.  I am using up the 3 inches because I will change out to 3.5 inches.  For this quilt, it makes no difference, since the ratio is 1:2, whatever width you want.

 For the, now missed, retreat, I had prepared packets to work on.  I cut the three inch strips into 6 inch pieces and made about 100 3" x 3" red squares for this packet and green squares for the quilt in progress.  Last night I had an hour good time and believe me I was up and sewing.  

 In this hour, I chain pieced the green to the scrap rectangle, pressed and then chain pieced them together..remembering always to keep a green square in the upper left hand corner.  I pressed them and left them under the towel on the ironing board since I just knew I would find three cats sleeping on them this morning.

Today, I had very little good time..got some vertigo going now from a blocked ear.  However, that did not stop me tonight from at least putting  the sewn rectangles on the design wall.  I used my camera for a reducing glass to be sure the value was acceptable.  I wanted to do a post so I could say to myself that I accomplished something at least today besides napping and watching my dear saintly husband plant more vegetables and prune yard growth....and that was after he played tennis and went by to check on my mother.

The absolute highlight of my day was Skyping my wonderful friends and sister from the retreat.  Wasn't that sweet of them.  Sherry showed me all the projects and the work stations and MP's lovely new lake house.  My cup runneth over.

The Blah Blah post

Today is the day that my friends leave on our retreat...without me...I am too sick to go.  They will see MP's new lake house and eat Marie's curry chicken and Ziti without spicy sausage and they will have Drenna's special breakfast. They will laugh and sew and Margaret will read Oprah's article on aging gracefully.  Margaret needs that as she will be 95 next month. I am sad, but I really want to get better. I think that this blog recently has become a journal for me.  Old friends are overwhelmed and exhausted with their own lives.  And my quilting friends have started to wear their NO Whining buttons to bee meetings.

 So here, I write for myself and leave it for all the world to read.  My steroid induced sleepless nights have been mildly productive.  The first night I did relaxation exercises and gratitude that I was able to breathe again.  The second night I tried to find the purpose of life, unfortunately in the morning there was no resolution.  Last night the bad turned into good as it often does. In my head, I designed my entire Swedish flag quilt.  I am so excited.  I have been doing no-thinking work for so long.

There are great things happening...The truest of all friends bring M&M's to heal my heart.. Shown here on my new IKEA sewing chair.

And a wonderful present arrived from Nadia made from an Olive tree.  Life is good. 

On the right road, but it seems long...

When I got up this morning, silly me expected to leap from the bed cured...not so fast said my bronchitis...Still so sick, but on the right road with hope....Who could be sad sitting on my cool and awesome porch with lovely spring weather...garden ..a...bloom .

 and a buddy....Zoey  hanging by my side....

 Looking over some oldie but goodies...I was totally shocked to see the publishing date on Ruby Short McKim's book....originally published in the 30's, this book was published in 1962...I am no math genius, but that seems even to me to be 50 years ago....OMG

 And this one, a dear favorite by one great quilter....

I need to perfect this art of making do in many ways....It is a good day.

Asthmatic Bronchitis and a brand new start

I was so done today.  I have not improved in 5 days despite antibiotics, inhalers, etc...such fatigue and coughing...And there is a retreat planned for this weekend, I just hate to give it a miss. .Grumpy and sick and disgusted..that is until my pulmonary Doc was able to fit me in. By two o'clock I was home with a wheelbarrow full of new drugs...newer higher powered inhalers, a brand new antibiotic and STEROIDS.  I wanted to refuse the steroids, but I was so sick that I gave in...just begged him to add a script for chocolate ice cream to go along with it.   Now it is 10pm...I cannot believe this...could you believe that just ONE dosage of this steroid is making me feel better???? (unless you think it might have been the chocolate ice cream?) I am so amazed.  Instead of sitting back with another Kindle book, I just got right to it....sewing!!..

I found these solid 5 inch squares I had cut a long time ago..

 Started a little playing around:)

 And, made a potholder for someone I know who is way stressed out. It is no masterpiece, but hey....I am on steroids!

I will let you know if I am up all night...I know if I am...it will be so worth it to feel better.

P.S.  Went by my mother's on the way back from the doctor.  She looked fragile and  91years old... but wonderful...sitting in her recliner all comfy and alert.  From  the shaky mouth of the Parkinson's patient...came today's wisdom...."Now I know why the caged bird sings".  Sigh...

Still whining...no quilting

As I lie in bed sick each day, my mind goes to all the quilts I am not making..How can I just lie here when I have not done my Swedish flag quilt or my Civil War quilt or worked more with my shot cottons...and then there is the Cog Wheel in solids I want or the wonky basket quilt...ugh... just a small personal whine.......

A little help for my friends...

This is no quilting post because I am sick...You know I cannot suffer in silence!! I just need to whine a bit...  Anyway, Wanda of  Exuberant Color  is bringing her work to Charlotte and offering a color class in June for quilters...Click on the Wanda link to hear all about it.  If you struggle with color or just want a brush up, her classes are reasonable.

And, helping Michelle of Of Hearts and Hands to use social media to help her sister-in-law who needs a transplant..

That is it...back to bed...

The eyes have it..

The scratch in my voice for four days was just a result of my talking too much and taking on too many clients...Alas, the truth appeared this morning with an ear ache.  Tonight the chest cough and ugh!!!  I am sick. Now, I cannot visit my mother.  She cannot get sicker ....But, thank goodness we got in a fun IKEA trip this morning...Isn't this the funkiest fabric you have EVER seen???

They had lips too, but really, the eyes have it!

Flower Garden, block of the month

Karen Ponischil from our guild organized one of the most successful block of the month events ever.  She had us do a block a month for breast cancer.  Make one for the breast cancer quilts and one for yourself.  She designed the blocks herself.  Some were applique and some were paper pieced.  I prefer applique so the remainder of my blocks were either made up by me, or found in an old antique applique book.  The top of mine is finished.

Bedtime quilting..and, ...

Time for bed, but I am sewing...Zoey hangs with Mr. O'Quilts...she has the illusion of comfort and control.

 Zoey steps outside to use the grass facilities.  Within minutes, Milito asserts his control..ha!

 In the other room I am sewing.  On the design wall are the blocks from Guild.  I made one set for Guild and one set for me..I love to machine applique.  I love to do different things with quilting.  Just the blocks are made and appliqued.  I am trying out the lattice for color.  I think I had better do more in the morning instead of tonight. Just sharing:)

The bed sheet fix..

I have declared for myself, today...May 7th as a "just do it" day.  My mother is in a hospital bed at Sunrise Assisted living...at a fortune a month.  I want to whine that with all the money she pays, there should be enough hosptial bed sheets to go around instead staff daily trying to squeeze on regular sheets.  So, since it is  a no whining day....I took home a sheet and made an insert so that it would fit her bed.  I am now going to put her name on the sheet and take it over to her.  Done...!!!

Heart Quilts for Sunshine finished

Today after the big birthday party yesterday, I had the energy left to finish binding two heart quilts for our Sunshine group..I heard a rumor at the Guild the other night that I was now heading it up...hmmm, well I guess that is ok.  It is always a challenge to put together  blocks made by others, but it works out too.  Our Sunshine group is so very lucky to have Terri Feehan to longarm our quilts.  She does a wonderful job, her   generous contribution allowing our group to work even faster making the tops.

With these in the wash, I am now relaxing by cutting up solid scraps into random widths and 5" charms for a rainy day.  Husband is making pretzel bread in our beautiful new buttercup yellow Kitchen Aide.  

Happy 91st Birthday MOM

 Here she is....ha ha nasty Parkinson's....she made it to 91..

Steve at Sunrise staff...brings a cupcake and balloons.