The brain and the midnight hour!!

HST's and nostalgia..

A snippet of Vintage fabric makes a Mommy teary......

 Made for my girl's kindergarten dance.....24 years ago...

 My first attempt at my HST's...so far behind....I am using Cherry House's pattern.  The only problem is that it makes 8 triangles..and I need 9...What to do??????  Square cut 8 inches equals 8 HST!!

Block one, done....

The day so far...

  Resting the brain, then just because I had decided that enough was enough....enough was not enough...Fabric.com's blowout sale of $3.95.  After I did this on the computer, my eyes were shot..so I took some pictures.  I am so proud of myself using my favorite fabrics and of my random piecing.  I am very pleased with this little quilt made with a charm pack and my own additions.  You know I really love a one patch, no need sometimes to make it all so complicated.

 If you like my new blog format..we can all thank my friend, Wanda, who mentioned so sweetly that maybe the new blogger would show off my quilt pictures better.  She was so right.  Thank you Wanda.

Now as week 7 has passed, I have this mother problem.  She cries to all that I am sitting around my house sewing  and not calling my dear old mother.  Evidently, she says, I do not love her any more.  I call and tell her that I love her and did she not remember that not only did I call, but we had a great chat..yesterday.  She says that she does not remember.  I know she is used to seeing me very frequently which has certainly changed.  I used to go every other morning and my sister every other night.  Now my sister goes every night with great exhaustion.  When we talked last night, she told me that she thought that my sister did not love her either.  She was frustrated that she did not remember.  I told her that I did not know what to do about all this when I  left messages and called her and she did not remember and cried.  She said for me to take care of myself and that all that was Parkinson's emotional incontinence and improper processing and that she knew that but couldn't help it.  I feel sad.

Julia is having a challenge for herself and has asked others to join in....she is sewing from stash and not buying new fabric.  I have another challenge for myself and that is to use the fabric I have been saving and loving.  I have saved it so long that it is now called Vintage fabric:)  The bits of this fabric were bought 25 years ago at the beloved, but now defunct, Mae's discount warehouse in Miami.  I love it so and finally used it tonight.  I have always had a great memory.  I was afraid that my concussion might have interfered...but I am delighted that I did not have to audition fabric for this border, I knew in my heart that this was the one and where to get it in my stash and that I was going to use it finally.  This awareness is making up for my adrenaline rush of losing my meatloaf to that dog!!  I am grateful.

The girl fabric below is probably from the same time frame.  Marie gave it to me when we both lived in Miami...maybe it came from Mae's too.   Marie, give a shout on the comment box if you remember where it came from...and you can see that I still love it so and am now going to use it on the back of my new one-patch.  Glad I kept it all because after 25 years, turquoise is making a comeback.  Can you imagine keeping fabric so long that it becomes Vintage?????

ok...it is all out of my system...I will show you the finished without design wall top tomorrow.  I want to take a picture of it in the daylight and I am getting the  sense that I may be over doing it.  So I had better go to bed.

Zoey and the absolute misinformation

While I was blogging and the meatloaf was cooling, ZOEY  ATE THE MEATLOAF!!!!!!!

I have never ever ever had a dog steal food before...OMG...I am speechless..  If a person does not need therapy after this.........speechless.

Upstairs, Downstairs

Mr. O'Quilts is out playing tennis.  The postman just came...how did he know:)  As you know, the upstairs office is on a budget.  I have explained to him that my recovery depends on therapy...fabric therapy.  I also suggested that it is miniscule...mere pittance...compared to the gas I could have been using these past SEVEN weeks.  I always got A's in my logic classes.

 AND, tonight I had the energy to make Mom's meatloaf...I mean..such savings...we did not have to have Monday pizza again this week.

 I have company in the downstairs office...they understand..  

In the sweetest of ways, Mr. O'Quilts mentioned that since I cannot work and this is lasting much longer than we had imagined...that we are now short one income.  It must be that the diplomas in the upstairs office are from a different school than those here in the downstairs office(:

The Painted Zigzag

Check out Wanda's post today...That is it!!  I am doing it..the Nike way...Beth has organized a Flickr group to do it all together....Sujata has the tutorial....Julia does a block a day....Nifty is doing it....Lordy I will NOT be left out.  Going to start today...after my nap!!!  So here are some of the fabrics I have pulled.  NOTE to self:  Do not push yourself to keep up.  If you have a headache, do NOT do it.  You do not have to be so productive in this that you are asleep for days resting the brain.  Self does not like this note...but will listen!!!!

 Random sewing...easy on the brain...wonder how this will be when it is sewn altogether..soon we will see....I am so used to using the design wall...I might even try the border without it....such flexibility!!!

Jan, you are right, many old quilts were done this way..Maybe it will be done by tonight..

Taking it easy....

Taking it easy..is not easy...I slept and then sat in the screened in porch in the rain pondering the purpose of life and drifted off and watched the woodpeckers at my bird feeder,etc.....Tonight I have finished 12 nine patches.  I do not know what era that the charm pack that my sister got me is supposed to be from...but I found in my stash complements, so probably not that long ago...anyway, this is going to be a simple one patch.  I might even just wing it without a design wall and just sew them together..easy...no thinking

As I move through my journey, I just think of that song, "I get by with a little help from my friends"....  Sometimes it only takes one email or one phone call or a card or a chicken or a comment...and it is often a surprise who is there...but joyously, I am getting by with a little help from my friends!

Rain, glorious rain in Charlotte

It is raining today.  I would show you how happy my cucumber plants are, but they were too ashamed.   My husband is Skyping his brother in Ireland and I am trying to just chill.  The quilt that Zoey is sitting on, on the porch has as its filler our wedding quilt.  In 1980 when we got married, I made a log cabin quilt in Irish colors and embroidered our names and birth dates and birth places and eventually the names and birth dates of our children.  We used it so much, and with the exposure to the Miami sun/light, it became so faded, that I covered it with this quilt top.  Now the "treasure" is on the porch with Zoey.  I cannot throw away anything.

 The aluminum platter and pitcher is from my grandmother.  She could never throw away anything either...lucky me.  There were Hydrangeas in this pot as well with the herbs and Coleus.  I knew I could root Basil and Coleus, but was so very surprised to see that the Rosemary rooted as well...great to know as Rosemary grows year round here in Charlotte.

 I have vowed to "take it easy" today.  I have had a rough two days and Mr. O'Quilts and others have said it is because I am doing too much.  That sneaky drive on Thursday to see my mother did me in, as well as using the design wall.  So when my sister brought me these pre-cuts yesterday, I decided that if I must sew, which I must, it will just be sewing and not thinking.

If you are not already a follower...I do love Nadia....http://multicoloredpieces.blogspot.com/2012/08/a-weekend-in-cairo-part-3-best-for-last.html

Charm Bracelet Quilt

  I have seen so many of these quilts online, that I was not sure of the source.  I googled the "Charm Bracelet" pattern and found Kate Conklin's pattern.  Our very own  Amanda Murphy from Charlotte, has something similar.  I did not use a pattern, but I did use the idea..so thanks to the above folks.  My addled brain has decided on just extending the orange.  I did not want anything to take away from the cute elephants framed in white.  I cut my elephants 6 inches with a 1 and  1/2 inch chain..  I am going to sew this on now and then go look for a backing.  I hope I do not go nuts with this too????  Maybe some M&M's from my other stash will help.

I am thinking of these for the binding, but then...

Cristin voted on the Summersville in Black..left side.  I think I just might add that to the binding options...a great idea..Thank u Cristin....

One bad___ border...or is it the quilter?

You would think that with 50 years of collection, that it would be easier than this to put a small 2.5 inch border on this delightful quilt...but oh, no...grrrr.  I guess I am trying too hard.

I did not realize till posting that most choices are green...whatever....guess after a break...a big break, I will look more at the blues...jeeze louize....maybe just another white...just ugh

charm bracelet process

Trying to get the feel of the width of the bracelet part...it is 4 inches.  I am wondering out loud if it needs to be 3? or 3 and a half...as I look at it, I think 3 and a half.  

The charming parts of my day

The gifts of today start with a nice gmail video chat with my wonderful daughter in Ireland...My heart sings.  Next, a restful brain on the deck before it rains.  Poor hubby and his tennis rained out, again.

Zoey thinking she is a person and grabs my screened in porch seat the minute I leave it..brings a smile to my face.

 

 Messing around with my new elephant prints making a charm bracelet quilt...now which color...do I like?

And of course listening to the Irish tenors on CD.

Baby flannel blankie

Look what I made in 30 minutes...Good Lord, I am having mood swings...Now I am thrilled...so cute.  Thank you Terri...for the great idea.  Remember in the fall, the "black Friday" sale at JoAnn's?  See last year's blog post.... Now, I am putting those flannels to good use.

Size matters.....

Now, I know it is not fair to compare a first edition magazine from 2012 with a first edition magazine from 1972.  But, in all honesty, the size of magazines has not changed in all those years, until now.  I was so eager to try this new magazine that I ordered it online from Fat Quarter Shop with my new Paypal fetish:).  The magazine on the left cost me $1.00.  The magazine on the right cost me $10.   Sort of like the ice cream boxes, a reduction in size.

 A reduction in size, but maybe not in substance.  I was eager to see...alas, I could not.  By the time I read to page 14, I was dizzy..This magazine is heavy on articles and not on pictures... so disappointed I was as I try to keep a grip here...Below...all basted...wonderful..on hold till I am able to quilt.

Yellow Bird top done

When you know it is right, you do not need to ask anyone else!!

 Looking all over for the right backing and upset that I did not have bigger pieces of what I liked when.........voila...

Yellow bird and Thursday

Look what my sister and Mary Pat did last night at quilting for me.  I am so spoiled!! and love it:)

 I am working on this still...trying out different last borders

 I think I may add a bit more of the blue to encompass the yellow bird corners.  Nothing like seeing things online to get a real feel for it.  Opinions are welcome.  And since I am also still experimenting with new blog layouts...opinions there are welcome too:)

I am just back from seeing my mother.  Yesterday I did feel like I turned a corner...6 weeks and 3 days etc. So when no one was looking today, I just got into the car and drove to see her.  It is only 15 min away.  I was symptom free till I got home, but I only stayed 30 min. and I came straight home.

My mother was still in bed at 11, eating her breakfast and chatting with her Hospice social worker..her favorite.  She was in great form.  She told me that there was a new resident who was also named Alice.  How dare that lady have Mom's name!!!  Oh, that is ok, said my mother, I just changed my own name immediately.  I will now be known by my last name of Burt.  But, she said that it was not working out so well.  Because when someone said.."Alice", she jumped and it was the other Alice.  And when they said "Burt" as she requested, my mother said that she forgot to respond at all.  She also said that she forgets that Daddy is dead and gets her feelings hurt that he doesn't come to visit her.  She does not understand why she forgets this when she really knows he has been dead 14 years but just forgets.  And so it goes..Still..so far a very grateful day.

Celebration

This should be a wordless post...but at my age, how can I change now??   The high...the cake...

 The low....the fall and hurt hand and rattled brain...

 The high...the mail carrier, who just must have known:)

Life is good, very good!