Monday, April 21, 2025

A Total Mess

 
I have made a terrible/wonderful mess in my sewing room tonight.  I decided to make more key fobs...They are very well recieved around here...So I pulled the above fabric for that.  Then I thought I should work on potholders....cutting batting for those...ETC..Next came finishing the American flag in progress... Now I have fabric and projects all over the room with no energy to work on any of them.

Below are the two new chickens at my girl's house.  The family now has: 4 Silkies; 1 New Speckled Suxxex; 1 Bared Rock; and one Buff Orpington....Sigh... This is way over my head.  Chickens are evidently common in Portland, roosters not so much.



Aoife and her mommy made nest treats for the  neighbors.  They walked around Easter afternoon to deliver them..So adorable.

I wss so happy to see that my girl still had the easter eggs I had purchased from Germany 55 years ago.


I love blue bottles, as in my blue bottle tree to ward off the evil spirits.  A friend showed me her daughter's remodelling...Voila blue bottle light fixture

It seems like I have been blogging forever and ever.  It changed when Bloglovin went out of business..Somehow I lost my favorite blogs and never found them again... I am wondering if this old lady should stop blogging...Maybe  in the morning light I will feel differently
xo

Sunday, April 20, 2025

Random Sewing , etc.

Bag presents for friends:



Potholders for sewing visitors:
Aoife visiting a friend's grown up chickens:

Happy butterflies for hope...a gift from Cherie
Adorable bunny from Anne.  Simple checkered tissue with a decorated big round bead, a bow and candy.
My latest venture using the 2 inch grid adhesive paper.

Happy Easter!!  Going to bed now.  I am planning on dreaming for the morning light.


Saturday, April 12, 2025

Lots of Joy and More

 My angel grand-girl visited me today and was my shining star.

She helped me pick a border for this flimsy
She cooked dinner for Grandma...sauteing peppers from my fridge with garlic and onion
 She organized my mess and disheveled sewing table

She did the dishes and we played Canasta in the card room...Lots of fun and laughs.

We visited Betty and her stain glass studio

So  nice to be a grandma instead of a mother!!!!

Above:  I painted with green sharpie the boring strap on my band.
                                                       
I finished off jar openers for  presents.  I like to clip a treat on friends' doors when birthdays or a "thank you" needs to  happen.

Last but not least, my friends here; OMG, They think they are  Easter Bunnies...OMG

As a special treat my son called tonight...twice.  Each time Lynsey jumped up and down to talk to him...More joy spread through the phone. Both of them so delighted...
Happy people make a happy grandma!!

Friday, April 11, 2025

Today....a Good Day

Focusing on the good;
Lunch with old friends
Cards with  new friends
Chat with my son
Chat with my Lynsey
Chat with my girl in Portland
Visit with the Wellness center re: hip replacement post surgery care.
Sewing

Here is my accomplishment of the evening...It is thanks to the great organizational skills of Linda
and of course, her kind heart...Without Linda and Sherry and my group, I would be lost.
Lynsey is coming tomorrow.  Hopefully she witll  help me with my mess and help me cut the border fabric..

All this made with lost blocks from forever ago.


My DIL and SIL bought a new house....He said no cats in the house......
But, our beloved Stitch lives with them....my sewing machine cat; the childrens' favorite.
Lynsey demanded that Stitch come with them when I moved...

Here is my SIL with his changed  heart   TBTG  I am so grateful.

My truths have been revealed.  Everyone knew I was  neurotic and loved me anyway.
I had thought it a secret!!

I identify as thin....Oh, no...clearly I am fat....Dear me, the truth is elusive at times.

The best news of all is my visit yesterday to my orthopedic surgeon....I have lost 32 pounds and he was delighted.  Evidently I have four more pounds to go.  I must have a BMI of 40 and mine is 41.
The doc was so delighted that he scheduled my surgery noting that it should be no problem for me to lose those extra 4 pounds since I am taking the weight loss shots...So thrilled.  Surgery is supposed to be in 3 weeks, my mother's birthday for good luck.  May 5th ....Oh, my.
Also very grateful that I have had minimal side effects from these shots.

And so it goes, a good post on a rainy cold April day.


Tuesday, April 8, 2025

Once again, Looking for the Light

 

Voila...here is is...by the sewing machine!!  It is always at the sewing machine.
The light and the Joy!!
Keeping myself busy by making things for others...I gave away two potholders this week;  one to my will attorney and one to the 
therapist  who came up to rescue my wheelchair from my rug...Jeeze..

Here I add a new potholder to the basket by my door.
Today, after my OT and my attorney visit, I finished off the  Easter bunnies and flowers for my door.
I started cutting bowl cozies...I figure if I have them all cut, then they will all be ready for the next step without boredom..
Dinner and conversation with friends...ended the day.

Our lovely spring days have now turned to cold.  I think I willljust  lock Pearl outside and go to bed myself.

Bunnies and Buttons and Bakelite

Such a great day today.  After lunch with a friend, the button jars from the art room provided amazing joy.
Lucky me found Bakelite buttons amongst other vintage ones....I then finished my Easter scrap decor, adding the adorable buttons.
Bakelite was pattened in 1909..  

In Portland the sunny day brought out the fast growing darling chickens to play with Aoife.
Sunshine is her favorite as it is the most cuddly.

These chickens are growing fast.  by two months they will be checked for their gender.
It will be a sad day if any of them are roosters.  Roosters are not allowed in their city neighborhood.

My girl has now made her first chicken diaper.  She gave it to Aoife's pre-school teacher whose chickens are grown.
Aoife plans a sleep over with Sunshine when it is older....
My, what would my grandmother say.??
What would my dear man say??

Thus a cheery inside , rainy outside day in Charlotte.



Monday, March 31, 2025

Still Alive and Hanging in

My Portland family continues with its love for the new chix. 
Aoife with Sunbeam...


Lynsey spent the night last night.  She talked and shared and helped old grandma...Grateful me!! She slept in my new  hospital bed.  I cannot get into that either with my painful hip.
I have lost 32 pounds, but need more to go in order to qualify for the much needed hip replacement.  My OT thought the hospital bed would help me as it lowers and rises, but I can not lift the affected leg, thus must continue to sleep in my reclinder.

My buddy Steve is in the hospital.  His cats are being watched by his neighbors on his apt floor.
Cheered him with a potholder!! Of course...Doesn't a potholder cheer everyone??.

EJ planted a new clematis in my garden.  Spring has come to Charlotte, thus a bloom already!
Finally I have labeled Evan;s  quilt .  I still have it as they are moving to a new house.

Here, my North Carolina family shows their new home:
I am so proud and happy for my DIL
My latest adventure in sewing:  spring fabric scraps ironed on fusible fleece, quilted and ready to cut out bunnies on my Accuquilt cutter.
 Here are my darlings....Dylan 15, and Lynsey 16.

So that is it for today...My awful hip pain opens the door to Pearl as she is always lurking.
Grateful for friends  to lift me up.

Thursday, March 20, 2025

Chicken Love

 Grateful to have a friend like Ellen!!! Missing all our past get-togethers!!! Look at the lovely St Paddy's Day treat she sent me to add to my collection...Big thank you Ellen (sent you a text)


St Paddy's Day embellishment for this old lady...wahoo!!!!  A tattoo!!

My dear girl in Portland today bought 5 new chickens...They are 2 days old!!!!  OMG
She has wanted them forever and ever!!  They are getting hard to find now because of the egg crisis.


Of course what does she ask her mother for????
A tutorial for chicken diapers so they can come in the house.  Aoife is so excited!!!
They all now have chicken love!!

Missing my youth here....!!!  Feeling quite old..

Friday, March 14, 2025

Rainbows are for Everyone

 +

Thank you Sherry for the embroidery! 
Happy St. Paddy's Day to all!!
A whimsical political statement!

My sister found the rainbow fabric at Michaels for $2 a fat quarter
There was no green in these rainbows.  However, a bit of green permanent marker added some.
I have hung this flimsy on my apartment door
The border green fabric has Celtic Knots on it.

Grandma O'Quilts misses her dear Irish man
xo

Sunday, March 9, 2025

Sewing Calms the Storm....Again!

Saturdays memorial service for our dear 38 year old Alexis, was wonderful...so much love.
Aoife in Portland getting ready for St. Paddy's day
Grandma O'Quilts preparing for the holiday .  All my Irish pieces are in the art room, so I am making a new one for my door.

The borders will be rainbows...as in the gold at the end..

Below my items in the art room 

Motivated to start another scrap quilt...I found these hour glass blocks in a bag...
My daughter ordered a renewal of my passport online a few weeks back.  I had the secretary here take a picture with my phone.
It arrived today...Wow, fast and easy online.

Below, more "found" beginnings:  I am starting a 16 patch for another comfort quilt.
A bunny surprise tucked in my mailbox????
More scrap fun, made by Linda.

Here we are:  
Grief all around
The world gone mad.
Finding little pleasures in family and friends

Memories of my Dear Man saying:
"Just go Sew"!!